Mail Force, a charity established by the chairman of the Daily Mail's parent company, distributed over 42 million pieces of personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS, care homes, and charities during the COVID-19 crisis. The initiative, funded by £12 million in donations from Daily Mail readers and philanthropists, provided equipment at no cost to taxpayers.
This effort stood in contrast to the government's procurement of PPE, which Baroness Hallett's report described as a 'frenetic' and 'chaotic' process involving lucrative contracts. Mail Force focused on sourcing verifiable PPE and delivering it directly to those in need, without involving profits or VIP access routes for favored companies.
Rigorous Standards and Distribution
All PPE supplied by Mail Force underwent rigorous testing to meet UK standards. The equipment was inspected by government technicians, with some batches even being sent back for refunds. Out of the 42,304,000 items supplied, 99.7 percent passed quality checks. Mail Force implemented a diligent process to ensure all certification was in place from reputable suppliers and established clear guidelines in consultation with the NHS.
Superior Type IIR fluid-resistant masks were sourced from UK partners, and Mail Force purchased the initial run of 1.5 million hospital aprons from a former carpet factory, later ordering nearly 20 million more based on positive feedback from NHS staff. In total, Mail Force raised £25 million, all of which was directly allocated to its initiatives, with no staff or overhead costs.
Broader Charitable Efforts
Beyond PPE, Mail Force also raised funds for crucial testing equipment and later supported underprivileged schoolchildren by providing laptops for remote learning during the pandemic. The charity's public accounts submitted to the Charity Commission documented all funds raised and disbursed.