0 18:32 Covid response Weve had to adapt more quickly and beyond anything we have ever done before Moving mountains Like most companies, Keltic Clothing has faced a year like no other but it has rallied, responded and adapted to a whole new market, as Louise Parfitt discovers f you visited Keltic Clothings offices this summer, it would not have been unusual to see staff wearing snoods and gloves. My favourite part was wearing our three-layer anti-viral snood in the baking heat of July, says David Barry, director of Keltic Clothing. It is made by a leading walking brand, then we added two layers a filtration layer and an inner layer to the mouth area, so its a threelayer mask and a snood all in one. The anti-viral winter gloves, which are based on a sports glove, have also kept several of us overly warm at various points during the summer. The team was wearing the items to test them for comfort, practicality and effectiveness. We had to trial the gloves to I check the grip was good enough, and theyre touchscreenfriendly, so we had to check they worked properly with our phones and other devices, Barry says. Keltic aimed to be responsive to customers needs during the pandemic, while keeping to its high eco and ethical standards. The core Keltic team carried on working throughout lockdown to source PPE for frontline workers. Initially, it supplied some disposable masks, but, at the same time it was designing and sourcing its own products that would do a better job both for the wearer and the environment. It was crucial to us that, if we designed a mask, it would be made from recycled materials, under ethical conditions where staff are treated just as well as our own staff here in our offices, says Barry. Our reusable masks and snoods are made from recycled plastic two plastic bottles are saved from landfill and oceans for every snood we make. But we never do something just because its eco-friendly; these products are intended, first and foremost, to fill gaps in the market for frontline workers who need well-designed and well-tested face coverings that protect them, are comfortable and last a long time. Quick response In two months, Keltic created a new department to look at products specifically to prevent Covid-infection. It now has 34 new products, none of which it was familiar with before Covid-19. They include baseball caps with face shields attached, social-distancing and Covid-marshal badges, disinfectant fabric sprays, a face mask attached to a key ring to prevent it being lost, and a full range of clothing made from fabric that has an anti-viral treatment that kills Covid-19. Its been a very challenging time. Weve had to adapt more quickly and beyond anything weve ever done before, Barry says. Our team has been incredible. Every day I came in during the lockdown I felt so thankful to have such fantastic people to work with. Keltic is a family business owned by me and my father, John and we both feel incredibly lucky to have such a great team. The team at Keltic Clothings office (taken before lockdown) britishparking.co.uk 25 PN Dec 2020 pp24-25 Keltic feature.indd 25 23/11/2020 16:09