Ryan Edkins is the Covid Entrepreneur who made a HUGE difference throughout the pandemic with his company Covex, and is now aiming to raise £1 million in a new partnership with Breast Cancer Now, creating a fabulous pink hand sanitiser.
Ryan, 36 years old from Leigh on Sea, Essex started the business in March 2020 from his Dad’s garage just before the national lockdown. In just six months, he has now grown the business into a multi-million-pound company, due to turnover in excess of £10 million in their first year of trading.
Since the business was founded, Ryan and his small team have serviced over 20,000 customers including the likes of No.10 Downing Street, The Home Office, NHS staff, care homes, and tens of thousands of schools and businesses up and down the country.
Ryan commented: “In March, I remember seeing a news report about how there was a growing shortage of hand sanitiser products across the UK. I then contracted Coronavirus myself during a skiing trip to Austria, and whilst residing in bed short of breath – I decided that I could help make a difference, and start producing hand sanitiser.
“I hired the help of my parents to begin with, and we used a single filling machine to sell over £100,000 worth of sanitiser in just a matter of weeks online. It quickly became apparent that working from home as a family just wasn’t going to cut it. So I spoke to my friend Rob, who has since become my business partner, and he found us a vacant 10,000 square foot warehouse site in Essex that we immediately took it into our possession. From there, we scaled up production capacity, and managed to keep up with the demand as the business grew and grew.
“In August, we signed a partnership with Breast Cancer Now to help them raise money during October’s Breast Cancer Awareness month. To mark our partnership, we have created a pink hand sanitiser, and we will be donating £1 from every litre sold. This money will help Breast Cancer Now continue to make possible life-changing care and world-class research.”
Sarah Canniford, Head of Corporate Partnerships at Breast Cancer Now, the research and care charity said: “We are delighted to be working with Covex. Their generous fundraising will help to fund world-class research and life-changing care, creating support for today and hope for the future.
“As the UK’s first comprehensive breast cancer charity, we are here to support anyone affected by this devastating disease. Our work is needed now more than ever, so a huge thank you to Ryan and all the staff and customers of Covex – your support will help us to continue to be there for people affected by breast cancer, now and in the future.”
Covex’s Breast Cancer Now 75ml pink hand sanitiser will be available to purchase on 21st September from £2.50 a bottle at www.covexgels.co.uk
For more information on the campaign visit www.sanitisepink.co.uk
Spread the word and not germs this October – #SanitisePink