Luminous had found that some of the ingredients they use on a day-to-day basis could help the ambulance to protect its crew from the virus.

As Covid-19 shut down the live entertainment industry overnight, Luminous turned its sights upon the supply issues of frontline healthcare workers. As a manufacturing firm, they saw an opportunity to help, said Ed Samkins, Co-Founder of Luminous: “I looked into this further and quickly established the WHO formula and preparation processes for hand sanitizer was something we could do.

“Conveniently, the main liquid solvent we used for fuel in our flame projectors was also the main ingredient in this type of alcohol sanitizer! We diverted our resources to quickly source plastic bottles with closures, design labels and get the additional chemicals and manufacturing tooling required. We logged our intention to supply with the HSE so we could get a permit to supply the product.”

The company started a fundraiser to generate interest in its new products and raise money for the production. Luminous has now supplied over 1,200 items free of charge to health workers.

“As it stands, the online shop is open for business for anyone who wants the products we offer. This is an entirely new venture for us, and we hope we can help supply anyone who requires the products we produce. With Luminous, we had a very particular, specialist skill set and were well connected in the entertainment industry, so were lucky enough for work to find us,” said Samkins.