College adds tasty treat to PPE support for NHS
STAFF at Hopwood Hall College have been hard at work producing vital personal protective equipment (PPE) for NHS frontline workers - as well as hand-made chocolates for a tasty treat.
The college’s engineering team used its own equipment to manufacture visors that were delivered straight for use by staff at the A&E department at Royal Oldham Hospital.
The department’s staff also received hand-made chocolates prepared by the college’s catering students, which had been made for an event that ended up being cancelled.
Julia Heap, principal and CEO of Hopwood Hall College, said the college was “thrilled” to support the community’s key workers.
She said: “These donations are our way of saying ‘thank you’ for all the hard work they do in such challenging circumstances.
“We believe it’s important to offer our support and show our appreciation, especially since a large number of our students will go on to become the key workers of tomorrow.”
The visors were created using an on-site 3D printer - which until lockdown was used by students working towards engineering qualifications at the college’s Middleton Campus - as well as materials donated by commercial printer Hobs Repro and Hyde’s Regray Textiles.
Electrical engineering technician Kieron Duggan said: “It’s great to be able to use our facilities and resources in this way. Having access to this industry standard equipment has allowed us to create the visors, a much-needed form of PPE for our beloved NHS.
“This equipment allows for solutions to real world problems and this is something we like to promote to our students.”
Volunteers and community groups across the country have resorted to making essential PPE items like face masks, goggles and gloves, as well as key medical wear like scrubs, in response to national shortages.
In a number of places, NHS staff have reported that equipment donated or purchased over the internet has been of better quality than official supplies issued to hospitals.
The college’s Art and Design team on its Rochdale campus also delivered packs of disposable aprons, liquid hand soaps and 12 boxes of non-sterile gloves to staff at Springhill Hospice.