When the seamstresses of Llanmaes came together in March to discuss how they could support their local community through lockdown, little did they know how far their work would go.

The women have been using their skills to make masks in a wide variety of colours and designs: from poppy masks for Remembrance Day, to festive face-coverings for the approaching Christmas season, to limited edition World Rugby Union masks that have been sent as far as New Zealand, there really is a mask for everyone.

Gail Foley, a former journalist, was furloughed from her PR job in March. She now spends her time travelling between the pubs, cafés and other businesses that stock the handmade masks, and giving the money raised to various worthy causes.

"There were a few ladies who sewed in the village and we thought could we help out by making scrubs, first of all," said Gail.

"We did a bit of that with a group of other ladies in the Vale, a woman called Hilary Carney in Cowbridge who co-ordinated and Julia McHugh in Llantwit Major.

"We got a lot of donations for fabric when we announced what we were doing, people would come round with £100 for us to buy supplies.

"But then we discovered that scrubs are quite hard to make. Most of us are retired or doing family things, and we didn't want to be doing it all day, every day.

"So, from the end of April and into May, we were just solidly making masks."

The team of around ten seamstresses thought it would all come to an end in July, but found themselves continuing when lockdown restrictions came into place.

Gail connected with Louise Burnell through Facebook, who runs a factory in Brynmenyn, and helped the group by pre-cutting fabric.

"She has been fantastic. She makes a lot of masks herself and she's about ten times faster than us because she has the industrial machines," said Gail.

"We still make a lot of masks ourselves but we're not as fast, but Louise is able to chuck in some when we're running low."

Through selling the masks at locations such as Stalling Café in Cowbridge, The Bush Inn in St Hilary, Victoria Inn at Siginstone, Piccolo Blue at Llantwit Major station, a hairdresser in Llantwit Major, and a dentist in Cardiff, the seamstresses have raised £7000 in clear profit.

As well as giving the money to support staff and patients at the NHS, the group has given £1250 to the Welsh Ambulance Service for disposable aprons, £100 to Mind, £100 to The Wallich homeless community, and £100 Touch Trust for sensory deprived children, to name but a few charities that have benefitted.

"We're very grateful for their support," said Gail.

"I spend my time now running between the shops, cafés and pubs to restock the masks and chatting with them. It gets me out and about."

Gail says that the group try and give away between £200 and £400 each week, to purchase specific items requested by their contacts on various hospital wards.

""We're very amateur, and we're not a big business, but what it's done for the ladies in the village is give them a purpose and keep them sane. It makes them feel part of a positive thing. We're so chuffed when we can give money away," said Gail.

"I know a lady called Sian Kelly, who is an intensive care nurse. She will come to us and say 'we're really short on pyjamas and nighties because families can't visit patients in hospitals.

"She asked for brushes and combs the other day, and we've also bought lots of radios.

"Staff at Prince Charles, in Merthyr, have asked for help. Even though it's outside our area I think it's an area that needs help, so we've bought nighties and baby grows for them too.

"Lately we've helped the Royal Glamorgan. One of the girls I know from Bonvilston, Bethan Roberts, is a consultant there in the intensive care unit.

"She said they needed bobble hats because when they nurse Covid patients, they tend to do so prone - on their front - which leaves them feeling cold.

"The knitters and a lady I know called Irene, who crochets, have been churning out beanie hats for them," she said.

Gail also spoke of two of the women in the group who have recently undergone breast cancer treatment, and were keen to support Llandough Hospital.

They use pretty or colourful fabrics to make drain bags, which are needed for two weeks after a mastectomy, and provide two matching masks with each one.

Not only has the sewing group been able to help causes all over South Wales, but the women have bonded through their shared endeavour.

"We've had a lot of fun with it and being able to keep in touch on Whatsapp or seeing each other safely when we can," said Gail.

"All the ladies in the village now, we might not have known each other before, but we know each other very well now."