Peterborough schools helping protective equipment supply as thousands of masks arrive in Cambridgeshire from China

A donation of additional PPE, including visors and thousands of protective masks, is being given to Cambridgeshire and Peterborough hospitals to help frontline staff stay safe during the fight against coronavirus, from two entirely difference sources.
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Schools across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough are using their Design and Technology Departments to make basic facial PPE visors for NHS staff.

Jack Hunt School, Ormiston Bushfield Academy and Arthur Mellows schools have already started making and delivering more than 650 protective visors to assist key workers and emergency services as they take to the frontline in hospitals, GP surgeries and care homes. The visors are already in use in Peterborough Hospital.Cllr John Holdich, Leader at Peterborough City Council, said: “It’s brilliant to see our local schools coming together to help the community at this difficult time. More than 650 visors to help hospitals, GP surgeries and carers is a tremendous effort.”

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And a further 12,000 masks are being donated from China this week, as a result of contacts made by Cambridgeshire County Council leader Cllr Steve Count, who over the past few years has been working to build links between foreign investors in China and businesses in the county.

Liam Gray and Ben Curtis from Ormiston Bushfield Academy trying the new gogglesLiam Gray and Ben Curtis from Ormiston Bushfield Academy trying the new goggles
Liam Gray and Ben Curtis from Ormiston Bushfield Academy trying the new goggles

Cllr Count, and County Council chief executive Gillian Beasley have been working closely with Martin Garrett of Cambridge Cleantech and Dr Chenguang Sun from UK Cambridge Education Centre to develop a strategic agreement which encourages local companies and investors to collaborate with Chinese companies and investors and vice versa – boosting economic opportunities for Cambridgeshire. And it was thanks to Dr Sun’s direct intervention that the additional donation is being made to help the county’s battle against the disease.

The donations from China - which are most useful in clinical settings - are being passed onto Addenbrooke’s Hospital. They will then be distributed to frontline staff and medical professionals battling Covid-19.

Cllr Steve Count, Leader at Cambridgeshire County Council, said: “I am extremely grateful and thankful to our Chinese partners - and particularly Dr Chenguang Sun for his support in sourcing and donating 12,000 masks which will help to protect our incredible staff and NHS workers.

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“The masks will be a welcome addition to those already being used across our health and social care system, and we are making sure they get to the services that need them as quickly as possible.”

Pamela Kilbey, Jack Hunt Headteacher, said: “This is a remarkable effort from the entire DT team, but especially Bec Evans, Adrian Hargreaves and Mary Loveridge who have led on this. We are so proud of the team and have been heartened to hear about the difference the visors are making to staff in the range of places we have distributed them.

“We are also immensely grateful to be able to give this support to the absolutely amazing staff in the NHS. You are our heroes. We are in awe of the work you are doing and the courage and resilience you are showing. As a community we wish to thank every single one of you.”