Community work with local medical services
Pupils and staff from Abbey Gate College participate in a variety of activities which benefit local hospitals and patients.
In April/May 2020, members of staff from the College undertook 3 separate projects to help within the local community after the outbreak of coronavirus. 5 staff were involved in making visors through a local schools networking group and a company called 'Print for Victory'. Around 2000 masks/visors were made for NHS Trusts such as Countess of Chester and Arrowe Park Hospital, as well as for GP surgeries, local care homes and pharmacies. In addition, around 150 mask adaptors were made for Liverpool Women's Hospital and Cardio-Vascular Centre and 30 face masks were individually made for nursing homes in the North Wales area.
The College's Design and Technology department created fidget spinners for use within Dementia Wards at local hospitals.
Aims
During the first national lockdown the aims were to utilise the physical resources that the College possessed, along with the considerable expertise of the staff to contribute to the national effort of providing PPE equipment for local health care professionals.
Fidget spinners were created to provide help for the ‘Forget Me Not’ dementia ward patients at Halton/Warrington NHS hospitals.
Background
A member of the College’s Parents, Teachers and Friends Association works within the NHS and was looking for help for the patients with dementia. As part of the PTFA fundraising, cash was raised for a second 3D printer for the Design Technology Workshop and the Head of Design Technology, agreed to produce ‘fidget spinners’ for use with patients on the dementia ward.
Resources
College teaching and support staff were involved in coronavirus response projects, giving their time and expertise for free. College materials and machinery were used.
The new 3D printer is being used to produce the spinners and College is also paying for the plastic with which to make them. Time to make the spinners is also a consideration but the Head of Design Technology and the Deign Technology Technician are producing these themselves for no cost to the NHS.
Impact
Some of the PPE equipment that was made was part of a wider national effort to help the health services (Print for Victory), while the mask adaptors and masks for nursing homes were a smaller scale effort to assist local health care professionals.
The member of the PTFA said this would have a big impact on the patients within the dementia ward, helping them with concentration and dexterity.
Frequency
These events were on-going during April/May in the first national lockdown.
This has been the first occasion that fidget spinners have been produced and we produce as many as are required. This is a project that could be extended to other hospitals/organisations.