Doctors and health workers have thanked Bradford Grammar School (BGS) for making personal protective equipment (PPE) for its frontline staff during the COVID-19 pandemic.
BGS is supplying care homes, GP practices, hospitals and optometrists with the vital equipment, which is needed because of a lack of available protective shields.
Visors have been specially made on a 3D printer and 3D laser cutter in the Bradford school’s DT department by DT technician, Roger Burton. So far, the school has made more than 200 visors, and has donated more than 1,000 pairs of gloves and around 200 pairs of goggles from its supplies.
Among the recipients are medical practices and care homes across Yorkshire and hospitals in Leeds and Glasgow, with requests for new equipment coming in daily.
Dr Angela Stonelake, a GP at Hawthorn Surgery, in Leeds, said: “We’re very grateful to Bradford Grammar for providing us with this equipment. We like the visors because they’re reusable and they’re very light and comfortable to wear and they make us feel safe. It’s lovely to see how the need for these has inspired a lot of community spirit from all our schools.”
Victoria Gore, of Victoria Gore Optometrists, in Queensbury, said: “I was contacted by the school and we were kindly given some gloves and safety glasses. They were very gratefully received as PPE has been so difficult to source and it means I can now see and deal with patients who have emergency eye care needs.”
Dr Simon Hinchliffe, headmaster at BGS, said the school responded swiftly after they were contacted via email and social media for the equipment.
Said Dr Hinchliffe: “We’re happy to help in any way we can during these difficult times. I know many other schools are doing their bit too and it’s important that we use whatever resources we have to support any workers who might come into contact with COVID. I’m delighted that we have the skills and the facilities at BGS to produce this much-needed PPE equipment.”
“We’re very grateful to Bradford Grammar for providing us with this equipment. We like the visors because they’re reusable and they’re very light and comfortable to wear and they make us feel safe. It’s lovely to see how the need for these has inspired a lot of community spirit from all our schools.”