COVID-19: Falkirk area business owners helping to screen staff and shoppers from virus

Grangemouth-born Ross Wilson, who runs a joinery firm, and Steven Differ, who oversees a printing and embroidery service, feared the worst when the government ordered the country into lockdown.

With details on financial support for the self-employed relatively unclear, both men shut down their own operations — Ross Wilson Joiners and Homefront Signs — worried about how they would make it through.

That was until Polmont resident Steven received a call from a shop owner and friend requesting his sign-fitting skills to help prevent employees and shoppers spreading COVID-19 by keeping their distance from one another. Ross and his fellow joiners were then brought on board to help out, leading to two more similar jobs via word of mouth.

Sensing a chance to earn a living and keep others safe, the pair put their heads together and devised a business plan which itself adheres to social distancing guidelines.

Since then, they have been contacted by more than 100 shop owners looking for protective screening and safety signage to be installed. Demand has been so high the duo have been able to give their employees regular work which would not otherwise have been the case.

Providing a steady stream of income for their workers is far more important to Ross and Steven than making a hefty profit.

After fitting a protective screen and signage at Best-one Redding Supermarket, Ross said: “It’s something so positive out of something so negative.

“We know so many self-employed guys and everybody was so worried. At the moment we have three teams of two doing the fitting and we’ve got a couple of drivers doing the deliveries. We’ve got two girls doing admin and organising jobs and a sales guy.

“We’ve had calls from North Yorkshire and Birmingham so we’re looking to set up teams of guys over the country.

“Other guys were doing a similar system but it was CLS and didn’t look great. We decided to make it more professional so it looks like it’s supposed to be there by using aluminium angle iron and perspex sheeting and screwing it on.

“We’re fitting it so shops can have it up but they can unscrew it and put it back up at no additional cost.

“We’re not looking to make an absolute fortune. It’s £110 a panel metre to supply and fit it.

“The materials are expensive and by the time we earn something we’ve kept it as minimal as we can so everyone is earning something. We want to be able to make a little bit of something instead of a big bit of nothing.”

Best-one Redding Supermarket owner Shabbaz Ali said: “They’ve put up warnings outside about the maximum six people in the store at one time and floor signs down for people to keep their distance.

“Customers are appreciating it. Some people are still not educated about this so having the screen, the stickers and the signs is making people aware.”