Hexel’s managing director Craig Whittaker said: “We all wanted to say thanks to our heroes in the NHS and all the key workers who are working to keep the country going whilst everyone is enjoying the sunshine at home, complaining about been bored. “I’m anxious just going to the shops and those guys are facing the virus head-on every day risking their lives to help people, so this is the least we could do to show our thanks. “I wanted to do something special for them, and rainbows seem to be the thing of the moment – I thought I’d paint the biggest one I could as a thank you to the NHS and key workers. “It’s been great to see people’s faces while we’ve been painting it. “They have absolutely loved it, it’s made people smile when everyone is worried and miserable at the moment – it’s been really uplifting and it looks great.” Hexel was first set up as a computer shop on Cairo Street in the town centre in 1996 before moving to its current home around 15 years ago, making it one of Warrington’s longest established IT firms. It took Craig, his wife Pandy and two of the company’s engineers roughly a week to paint the side of the building before work was completed yesterday, Wednesday, with a few finishing touches. He added: “It’s probably taken us about a week to paint the rainbow all in all. “The Union Jack was quite a landmark that everyone knew, so I didn’t want to lose that. “I can’t believe it’s eight years ago since we did it, that made everyone smile as well. “People are always saying ‘are you the place with the Union Jack on it?’. “It might come back at some point in a year or two when all of this is over. “I’ve got plenty of rainbow paint leftover if anybody needs any.”
