University of Bedfordshire provides materials to make full face visors

The University of Bedfordshire is helping the fight against Covid-19 by providing materials to create full face visors for healthcare professionals.

Volunteers at Luton’s Chiltern Academy, part of the Chiltern Learning Trust, have received laminate and clear A3 covers from Dave Plummer, Head of Print and Document Services, which will allow the production of at least 400 additional visors.

Whilst closed to pupils, a team of local teachers have joined forces at the Gypsy Lane-based school, volunteering their time to make thousands of visors to help with PPE supplies.

Many of these have been sent to frontline staff at Luton and Dunstable University Hospital, where a number of third year University of Bedfordshire students and graduates have chosen to stay on placement.

David Plummer, based at the Luton campus, said: “I saw that this was an admirable project, something selfless. These people are putting themselves out there to get protective equipment to those who need it, so providing spare materials is just a small thing that the University can do to help."

The Chiltern Learning Trust is continuing to appeal for more materials to help production, specifically clear A3 PVC or Polyester covers.

Daniel Pallett, Head of Specialism in Engineering at the Chiltern Learning Trust, said: “There’s a worldwide shortage of equipment because you can’t just bulk-buy gear that’s up to standard.

"It’s not as easy as just walking over to the shop and asking for 1,000 visors.

“This project has exploded from a small movement of teachers who wanted to help make roughly 60 screens a day, to a core team of volunteers from schools across the Trust and Queensbury making around 1,300 a day!”

To date, over 7,300 protective visors have been made by Daniel and the Chiltern Academy volunteers, based on a design from New York University, which have been donated predominantly across Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire and Buckinghamshire, but also as far afield as Preston and Scotland.

Daniel added: “It’s been a really enjoyable and rewarding experience working together on this but it’s also been really emotional too, hearing all the stories from people affected by this crisis.”