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Academy colleagues make PPE for fellow Key Workers

Academy colleagues make PPE for fellow Key Workers

25 April 2020

All cooperators know, great things happen when we work together. 

With Personal protective equipment (PPE) in short supply across the country, schools have been stepping into action and turning their Design and Technology rooms into production lines. 

This includes many of our Academy colleagues who have been helping out their fellow Key Workers by making PPE. 

Colleagues at Walkden, Manchester and Bebington have spent hours making visors for local surgeries, care homes and hospitals. Alongside donating unused goggles from their Science departments. 

Hannah Quinn and Rachael Quinlan at Walkden, Michael Montgomery, Alison Stannard and Richard Simpson at Manchester and Richard Fletcher and Keith March at Bebington used laser cutters and 3D printers to make the masks. Together they have donated over 1000 pieces of PPE, and plan on making more to meet the demand. 

Staff at Haywood Hospital with PPE donated by Co-op Academy Stoke-on-Trent

“We just wanted to say a massive thank you for the visors that you delivered, they have been such a massive help in keeping all our staff healthy and in turn able to continue to treat the community and make sure they in turn stay healthy.

In the last 3 weeks since your delivery we have had no staff with COVID symptoms and one of the factors has to be the excellent PPE that we have been given so thank you.”- Thornbrook Surgery, given PPE by Co-op Academy Manchester 

 

Richard Fletcher at Bebington was inspired to start making the PPE by his partner- “My amazing partner is a nurse and is working on a ward treating patients with Corona virus. After seeing her come home scared by what is happening I was just glad that I could do something that helps keep her and her colleagues safe. As a bonus, it helps that I love making stuff.”

Co-op Walkden Academy Principal, Matthew Hacker said: “I’m absolutely delighted that we’re able to use our resources in school and expertise of dedicated teachers like Hannah to support our colleagues in the NHS.

“As a whole staff we realise that we are part of a bigger picture here in the middle of this national crisis and everyone is doing their bit to support that.”

And where academies can’t make visors, they’ve been donating other items. 

Josh Dale at Co-op Academy Stoke-on-Trent arranged for goggles, masks, gloves and hand sanitiser to be donated to 4 different local practices. 

Co-op Academy Priesthorpe’s Science department donated goggles to local hospitals.

And Co-op Academy Leeds donated personal hygiene products to COVID-19 wards. 

Colleagues at Co-op Academy Leeds have also been making PPE at home.

We are incredibly proud of our colleagues who are doing everything they can to support our communities. 

More from Co-op Academy Manchester about their PPE efforts.

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