Our mission is to enhance the local community's awareness for the NEED of face masks, help reduce the incidents of spreading (any type of virus/infection) and have fabric masks available to the public (and leave the surgical masks for the frontline healthcare workers).

Our mission is for as many ordinary people to own and utilise a face mask in these challenging and vulnerable times.

A reusable, sustainable and affordable solution to help everyone get through a tough time.

We are blown away with countless community initiatives of people sewing and donating fabric face masks for the local community.

So, as a company with manufacturing capabilities, we believed it was our responsibility to develop an affordable face mask that can be used in this time.

The pandemic has been evolving very quickly across the globe, and over the past few weeks the (western) world has changed its mind on face masks.

Official government positions have changed and the public opinion on the topic of face masks have also become a lot more welcoming.

• There is a shortage of face masks around the world.
• Governments are placing trade bans of face masks across international borders.
• Front line medical workers are facing shortages on medical/surgical grade face masks. Price gouging of face masks are seen all around the world due to shortage.
• There's not enough valuable information and education on face masks with mixed messages about the effectiveness of face masks for viral protection.
• There has been a degree of stigma around wearing face masks in western society in that only the “sick/ill” wear face masks.
• Disposable masks are not a feasible solution in addressing a pandemic.
• It would be physically impossible for everyone to use daily a new mask (expensive and unnecessary).
• Also consider the environmental implications of billions of people having to use a new mask daily.

When the pandemic came to Australia in early 2020, SParms had 2 options:

1. Just close and take a break until the pandemic ends

2. Do something meaningful. Respond to the now. Take a risk, invest and pour resources and time in developing face mask

SParms’ response: the latter

1. Use our manufacturing capabilities to design and create a good quality face mask (teaming with our factory of 10 years in South Korea)

2. Using our brand power and influence to help acceptance of face masks in society

We are an Australian company that specialises in sun protection apparel. 10 years ago we had a vision to change culture for people to take sun protection more seriously and COVER UP. We are now the leading sun protection brand in the golf industry, where over 200 highly recognised golfers wear our sun sleeves worldwide.

Since the outbreak of COVID 19 hitting Australia and the rest of the world earlier this year, our business has slowly diminished to a standstill with the closure of golf courses and lock downs across the world.

As a company passionate about finding innovative solutions to problems, it made sense to design and manufacture face masks. With our passion for innovation for “protection” and our manufacturing capabilities, we could not sit back and simply wait for the pandemic to pass us.

We had a choice to rest, send our staff home and close office but instead we took this time to take a risk and work around the clock to create a face mask for ordinary people. After much research, we started to design and work on a face mask initially for our local community to donate, but with the growing need for face masks, we decided to scale up and manufacture quality masks for the community. Making masks have been a similar process in making our sun sleeves. There were social risks attached to this, as the application of sleeves and masks were equally not socially accepted practices in the western world.

SParms accepted this new challenge to make a difference once again, so even before face masks were encouraged by authorities, in March 2020, we decided to proceed with the development of our first edition.

The attitude towards face masks is quite different between the Western and Asian cultures.

It is very common to see the wider community in Asian countries wearing masks even if they are not unwell.

n some countries wearing masks outdoors in public is compulsory and even without such regulations, in most cases, you would see more people wearing them than not.

Although other reasons would exist, having the history of suffering from other respiratory infections such as SARS and MERS causes many Asians to be diligent in wearing face masks out in public.

This in short, brings us to the conclusion that face masks are useful and if available, should be worn where it is
feasible.

Slowly due the current pandemic, a couple of European countries have implemented the practice of wearing masks when outdoors to prevent further transmission.

Further over the past weeks various Western governments authorities and WHO are starting to change their official position on masks, moving towards recommending them where available.

Although fabric face masks are not as efficient in filtering the micro particles of our respiratory tract than the surgical masks used by the medical practitioners, it is a practical and easy way protect yourself and community with peace of mind.