12/5/2020  

Cardiff's secondary schools have been supporting frontline health workers across the city by providing thousands of items of PPE, during COVID-19.

It is estimated that over 10,000 face shields and visors have already been manufactured using school equipment and materials by many schools including Cardiff High School, Cathays High School, Bishop of Llandaff High School, Ysgol Gymraeg Glantaf and St David's College.

Whitchurch High School and Llanishen High School have provided additional acetate for manufacturing and Willows High School is taking delivery of equipment this week so that they can also start producing valuable items of PPE.

Several schools including Ysgol Gymraeg Plasmawr, Bishop of Llandaff, Llanishen High School, Corpus Christi and Cathays have also donated their supply of science goggles, gloves, aprons and masks amounting to thousands of items, all being used byhospitals, GP Surgeries, district nurses, care homes, pharmacies and care in the community workerson the frontline.

In addition, staff from the Design Technology and Textiles department at Ysgol Gymraeg Glantaf have made 175 bags to hold scrubs and have now moved on to making scrubs in accordance with NHS guidelines, with the target of 70 tunics a week.

Cardiff Councils Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Education, Employment and Skills, Cllr Sarah Merry said: "I am absolutely overwhelmed to hear of the fantastic work that is going on in our schools to help support front line health workers during the pandemic.

"The generosity from staff, pupils and their wider school communities is having an outstanding contribution. Many schools will have to repurchase items when school's open again so I would like to commend them for their kindness and thank all those who have volunteered their time."

Cardiff High School and Cathays High School are now producing visors suitable for use when working with children. Pupils submitted their own design ideas and over 100 of the new visors were delivered to Ty Hafan Children's Hospice this week.

Staff are also transforming unwanted duvets into scrubs bags and the school have set up an online ordering system to manage the demand.