A Newport-based manufacturer of garden buildings has pivoted its product offering to meet the needs of Covid-19 restricted care homes during the pandemic.

As a result, the company has secured a contract to supply and install visitor pods at more than 45 care homes across the UK.

Nordic Garden Buildings manufactures and supplies a range of garden rooms, summer houses and orangeries. During the first lockdown it realised that its range could be adapted to allow safe visiting in care homes.

The PVC-u and glass pods allow for separate entrances for visitors and residents and are fitted with the necessary screening and a speaker system to allow families to communicate without the risk of virus transmission.

The company has secured a contract with a national care home group to supply 45 pods as well as numerous orders from individual care homes.

Director of Nordic Garden Buildings Justin Williams said: “Our business is all about providing flexible living spaces, most typically in peoples’ gardens.

“We had seen an increase in demand for home offices as a result of people being urged to work from home. And when we started reading about the impact the pandemic was having on care home visiting, we had that light bulb moment and realised that this was something we could play a positive role in.

“Being able to visit loved ones in a safe space is providing a huge boost to care home residents and brings peace of mind to family members. It’s a win win and we are delighted to be playing a part in this, especially as many will be wanting to visit their loved ones in care homes this Christmas.”

An added benefit for the care home sector of using the garden pods for visiting is that visitors are able to access the pod without having to walk through any communal areas in the home.