KLS in the Community

This year (2020) has been different to any other year in our lifetimes.  Our focus as individuals as the pandemic swept through the UK was to look out for family, friends and our community.

Like many businesses in our sector we were hard hit, our customer base is mainly restaurants, pubs & caterers & they were being forced to close overnight. What about their suppliers? 

I still remember going home from the office on the day the first national lockdown was announced.  I can admit now I did shed a few tears that evening as the wave of reality hit me.  The feeling of helplessness was very real, how could I keep my family & staff safe but also financially stable when the virus was something we couldn’t control?  How long would this virus be with us and could we really be on the verge of losing everything we have worked a lifetime for?

In the last few days before lockdown we quickly flipped the business and sold toilet rolls, disposable gloves and virucidal sprays to residents in the local community and delivered them door to door to people who simply couldn’t get out to queue for hours to get into a supermarket.  Those who did brave the queues would find essential items like toilet rolls and sanitiser were not available due to panic shopping and short supply.

Whilst we refocused locally supplying directly to community residents we were contacted by healthcare workers asking for our help.  It was heartbreaking and worrying to think nursing staff at our local hospitals and care homes didn’t have the correct PPE to carry out their duties. 

We donated what stock we had of face masks, disposable gloves, aprons & hand sanitiser all of which was in very short supply at local NHS hospitals, care homes & even to our local Thames Valley Air Ambulance crew.

NHS staff getting PPE parcels

Thames Valley Air Ambulance

I think the most positive thing to come out of this awful year is the support we’ve all shown each other in exceptional circumstances.  When everything comes crashing down we can as individuals or as businesses make a positive impact to those around us. 

I really want to thank the local community that bought items from KLS when we flipped the business and to our loyal business customers who have continued to drive their businesses on during what at times has felt like an impossible battle.

I hope we will all come out the other side of this pandemic with a new found respect for each other.

Stay safe.

David Lawless