As the fight against Covid-19 escalated, PPE issues for families and friends led to a number of staff in Dumfries and Galloway schools considering if they could produce face visors, using laser cutters and 3D printers.
Technical teacher Kirsteen Hogg discussed the possibility with Douglas Ewart High School headteacher George Webb.
A number of primary and secondary schools in the Stewartry and Wigtown areas are now working with materials provided by local businesses and the community to produce hundreds of visors.
Kirsteen said: “We’ve been overwhelmed by the generosity of local businesses and the community, who have donated materials. We’ve produced hundreds of visors and we hope to produce hundreds more. So, we continue to seek donations of appropriate material. The visors are being used by key workers such as NHS staff, carers, shop assistants, and bus drivers. We have 20 volunteer workers at the Douglas Ewart High School and being able to fulfil this need makes us all very proud. The volunteers producing the masks include teaching and non-teaching staff and more are coming to join us each day, to either produce or deliver them. We are, of course, observing social distance guidance and complying with health and safety legislation.”
Volunteer teams are also making face visors at Wallace Hall Academy and Dumfries Academy, which has already produced more than 700 face shields. 200 have been despatched to NHS Dumfries and Galloway, the remainder have gone to local carers and care homes.
