A Richmond company has donated 8,000 surgical masks to a humanitarian aid charity.

Econocom, a digital services company, donated the masks to UK-based Operation Sunshine, which provides aid to communities in Africa.

The charity, which relies solely on donations and the efforts of volunteers, will send the majority of masks to the Kitwe Central Hospital in Zambia for use in a cataract clinic.

The clinic doctors currently need to reuse masks several days in a row.

Chris Labrey, Managing Director of Econocom UK and IRL, said: “We love that this charity is run mainly by pensioners.

“The staff are so enthusiastic and helpful, and you can tell that they’re really passionate about what they do.

“We knew that they would be able to send the surgical masks to a worthwhile home.

“Basic provisions such as access to safe water and medical care are things that are often taken for granted in this country and it’s easy to forget that other countries are still under developed and don’t have these luxuries.

“Operation Sunshine do an amazing job of arranging, sending and distributing humanitarian aid in Africa, and Econocom are privileged to have been able to contribute towards the work of this special charity.”

The remaining masks will be sent to Sister Rosario, a surgeon who works at a rural hospital in Chilubi Island, also in Zambia.