How Are Your Favourite Brands Helping During The COVID-19 Pandemic?

The current Coronavirus pandemic has touched the lives of each and every one of us. The world is staying home, the UK is clapping for the NHS and communities are working harder than ever to protect those closest to them. And our favourite sneaker brands are no exception. The likes of Nike, adidas, Prada, Burberry, New Balance and many, many more have made incredible donations to relief efforts and even turned their attention towards producing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

Yesterday, Nike donated another $500,000 to the New York City organisations in need. In total, Nike has now pledged over $17.5m to COVID-19 relief efforts and this funding is given to directly support the NYC Food Bank and the COVID-19 Emergency Relief Fund. Not only has the Oregon-born brand offered up huge donations, it's also started producing protective masks crafted from Air Max fabrics. Crafted from repurposed apparel and footwear materials, Nike has collaborated with medical experts to ensure the masks meet all the requirements.

Also focusing their efforts on PPE is New Balance and adidas. Crafting over 100,000 PPE masks a week, New Balance is “getting all hands on deck” and is collaborating closely with government officials and medical experts to craft masks that are functional and efficient to mass produce. The world-famous footwear label announced “this is not a commercial opportunity. NB is pursuing break-even pricing and/or donations for the masks.”

The masks produced by adidas are done so in collaboration with Carbon. 3D printed using the same resin that features on the adidas Futurecraft 4D Runners, these masks are designed with healthcare workers in mind and cover the entire face for maximum protection. 18,000 of the masks are being crafted each week and the brand is set to scale up production to meet growing demand as the pandemic continues.

World-famous luxury brand Burberry is also doing their bit. The London-based fashion house is pumping funding into vaccine-research at the University of Oxford. A post on the brand's Instagram page reads: “We are funding research into a single-dose vaccine developed by the University of Oxford. The University has one of the world's best track records in emergency vaccine development, and its COVID-19 vaccine is on course to begin human trials next month. Though we are apart, we stand together.” And, as the brand announced, human trials of the vaccine are in fact set to start tomorrow (Thursday 23^rd April), so Burberry's funding has not gone unrewarded.

Furthermore, Burberry has used its global supply chain to speed up the delivery of over 100,000 surgical masks for use by NHS workers. The brand is also using its Yorkshire-based trench coat factory to craft non-surgical gowns and masks for patients. If that wasn't enough, it's also offered significant donations to food banks and other charities.

Proof that these billion-dollar brands are willing to step forward when the world needs their skills and services most, these acts of compassion and kindness from some of the world's favourite brands are truly inspiring. So, make like Nike, adidas and Burberry and do whatever you can to help during the COVID-19 pandemic – whether that's clapping for the NHS, making a small donation or just staying home. Because, in the words of Burberry, Though we are apart, we stand together.