A JEWELLERY manufacturer in Barnt Green has made 'thank you' badges to honour contribution made by key workers during the coronavirus crisis, while raising cash for the NSPCC.

Vitrify England will be producing two versions of a rainbow lapel pin badge, supporting everyone working in the national effort to protect the vulnerable and defeat Covid-19.

A specified amount from each sale will be donated to the NSPCC, the charity that runs Childline.

Keith Davis, managing director of Vitrify, is a former Childline counsellor who volunteered for the service in 2015 when he was living in the Midlands.

He said: “I loved my volunteering – it was very rewarding.

“Of course, you have some contacts that can be quite distressing, but those around you are very supportive and you do get a rewarding feeling at the end of your shift because you’ve tried to help.”

Vitrify England started trading in September 2019 but with shops closing because of the pandemic, Keith started thinking of ways to continue manufacturing.

He added: “I was thinking about how we could use our production capabilities to keep the business going.

"Our target customer base was shut down and furloughed, so we really needed a find a way to keep the factory open.

"There are rainbows everywhere at the moment for frontline services, including the NHS, but I thought that we should design a generic lapel pin to support all those who are helping out at this time."

Two lapel pins are available to buy. A base metal version in which £1 will be donated to the NSPCC for each sale; plus a sterling silver gold-plated version, £5 of which will be donated to the charity.

Keith said: “I thought this would be a great way to keep our staff busy whilst, at the same time, offering a contribution to the great national endeavour in defeating this dreadful virus.

"Buying a lapel pin a is great way to say ‘thank you’, whether to one or all, whilst also helping to support children, some of the most vulnerable, at this time.

"Childline is more important than it's ever been. It offers incredible support. I've seen this personally and how appreciative children are for it.

"And with the isolation of lockdown, I can imagine that some are feeling more isolated now than ever before."

The first badge off the production line was presented to Childline volunteer Cheryl Shagan, who has recently surpassed the 2,000-hour mark in the counselling room at the charity’s Edgbaston base.

She is one of a team of volunteers who have delivered more than 2,200 of counselling sessions across the service since the end of January.