Kingussie school makes plastic appeal to kick-start PPE production
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The production line making visors for frontline staff in the Covid-19 crisis will re-open at Badenoch secondary school soon, it is hoped.
Kingussie High School has already sent out 250 full face shields for NHS staff at Raigmore Hospital in Inverness and other frontline workers in the region.
However, a lack of micron plastic for the shields themselves has temporarily halted production with all the other component parts in place.
Headteacher Ian Adamson said there has been an outstanding response to an appeal last week for more materials to make the PPE, with 750 orders on their ‘books’.
Mr Adamson said: “I have been inundated with requests for face shields and have been trying my best to keep up with demand.
“Unfortunately, we ran out of materials and put out a plea for help from the local community. It has been amazing the support that we have received from near and from far.
“I have been contacted by people offering to send materials from Wick, Perth, Glasgow and also from local companies. The Spey Valley Hire Centre is delivering some materials to allow us to get back producing the head pieces but we are still needing 200 micron plastic to make the shield.
“I have also had a few people reach out to offer cash donations from them or their companies to help us fund the face shields. Aquascot Ltd got in touch asking for 100 face shields and donated £1000 to the school.
“All the kind offers of materials or donations to the school go to show how important people realise it is to get the correct PPE to the frontline and key workers and it has been gratefully received.
“I have an order of over 750 face shields outstanding at the moment and as soon as the materials arrive we will be doing all we can to get the shields made and delivered to the workers who need them.”
Mr Adamson is being helped with the next batch – when work re-starts – by technology teacher Hugh Verling.
The school can be contacted through its Facebook page.
