Ultimate Products, the owner, manager, designer and developer of an extensive range of value-focused consumer goods brands, has been working hard since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic to provide support to a range of local charities and initiatives in the Oldham area. The company is deeply aware of its responsibility to the community as a long-standing and significant employer in the region and is delighted to be in a position to provide both practical and financial assistance where it is most needed.
In particular, Ultimate Products has been working closely with Action Together, a local charity that is coordinating the COVID-19 response effort in the borough of Oldham. In the last few weeks, Action Together has delivered food and household products to people in vulnerable categories, organised shopping and errands for those self-isolating, arranged volunteers to phone those who are lonely, and issued micro-grants to other local charities and initiatives.
Having seen just how crucial these efforts are, Ultimate Products is pledging £10,000 to support the work of Action Together and is today encouraging other local businesses to do everything that they can to support this fantastic cause. In addition, the company has already donated large quantities of personal hygiene and cleaning detergent products to the charity. These and other goods are being delivered out into the community to those who need them most.
Beyond its support for Action Together, in recent weeks Ultimate Products has also delivered the following:
- 450 power banks to NHS frontline staff at Royal Oldham Hospital.
- 4,000 surgical face masks, as well as vacuum cleaners, toilet rolls, kettles, cleaning cloths and water, to Pathways to Opportunities, a Chadderton-based initiative supporting those with learning difficulties and complex needs.
- 17,000 travel mugs to NHS Foundation Trusts as part of wellbeing packages for NHS staff.
- Household stock including cookware, kettles, toasters, ovenware, ironing boards, cleaning cloths and headphones to multiple local charities, including Positive Steps Early Help Programme, an Oldham-based initiative helping young families in need.
- Kettles, toasters, soup makers, and blenders to Mustard Tree, a Manchester-based homeless charity which delivers 125 food parcels a day, and which had found that some recipients didn’t have the necessary appliances to cook the food in.
In addition, the company’s employees have also been donating their free time. This has seen Ultimate Products employees making masks for key workers, joining nationwide initiatives such as the NHS Volunteer Responder scheme, and volunteering more locally for initiatives including B.Friend and Action Together.
Andrew Gossage, managing director at Ultimate Products, commented: “We are absolutely committed to doing everything that we can to provide much-needed support to local charities and endeavours that are working round the clock to help the people of Oldham during these extremely difficult times. We are a proud member of this community and a long-standing employer in Oldham, and it is both a responsibility and a privilege for us to be able to contribute financial support and household goods to fantastic organisations such as Action Together.
However, there is so much more that needs to be done, and we would encourage all local businesses to do what they can to pitch in and help out. It really is the case that no contribution will be too small at the moment.
“Finally, I am delighted but not surprised by the extraordinary commitment and kindness of Ultimate Products’ employees, who are giving up their valuable and sometimes scarce free time to do what they can to help. We are hugely proud of them, as they should be of themselves.”
Jenny Stewart, commercial director at Ultimate Products added: “I am extremely proud of the good work that the UP team have been doing helping the vulnerable in our local Oldham community during this difficult period. I have been conscious to keep my team’s spirit high and keep them united during lockdown since they have all been working incredibly hard to continue to support our loyal customers. It was an fantastic idea of Eddie Edwards (sales director at UP) to create a fun activity for the whole global sales team to be involved in. It was great fun and we do hope this will put a smile on everyone’s faces.”
