Thornhill Academy turns technology department into PPE production facility for local care homes

Staff at Thornhill Academy’s design and technology (DT) department are playing a role in the production of personal protective equipment (PPE) for local care homes across Sunderland.

Teachers are designing plastic face shields which will be worn by carers to try and limit the spread of Covid-19.

Headteacher Ian Redford has explained how the school got involved in the production of PPE.

“We’ve seen on social media and the news how all hospitals and care homes are struggling to get the PPE they need so we wanted to see how we could help.”

“I spoke to someone who runs a care home near the school and asked what they needed. We were able to provide over 700 pairs of gloves along with 300 plastic aprons.

“Some of the face shields they had ordered were not the best quality so I tasked one of our DT teachers, John Miller to see if we could come up with a better design.”

Production started on Thursday, April 23 during which 82 reusable face shields were created.

In the last 24-hours, the school have received an overwhelming response, including further orders.

Ian added: “I didn’t expect the response that we have had. We only wanted to share some news on social media about what we have been doing.

“We’ve had loads of requests, mainly from old pupils who are now working in the health industry to see if we can supply PPE to them.

“So we have decided to keep going until we run out of materials.”

It’s not just face shields that the school are producing. Mrs Richardson in the P.E department has made bags for workers to put their scrubs in at the end of their shift.

Clips for face masks have also been produced out of chopping boards so they don’t cut people’s ears while wearing them.

Staff at the school are also collecting weekly food donations which are being delivered to a foodbank in Hendon.

Mr Redford commented: “We are a local community school, wanting to serve the local community in anyway we can.”

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