Black Country school makes face shields and hand gel for care homes
A specialist school in the Black Country is making face shields and hand gel amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Teachers have been crafting the items at Shenstone Lodge School, in Oldbury, as health workers face a shortage of personal protective equipment.
The school's chemistry teacher, Paul France, has made hand gel in a laboratory using a recipe from the World Health Organisation. So far about five litres have been made.
Meanwhile about 200 face shields have been crafted in the school's workshop, leading by design and technology teacher Jack Benson.
The face shields are created using a computer-aided design before being cut with a laser. Foam padding is then added.
The items have been distributed among care homes in the local area. Headteacher Chris Husband came up with the idea of the project.
The school is split into two sites with the other located in Lichfield, Staffordshire.
Simon Hobbs is headteacher there but has been helping out with the project in Oldbury.
He explained: "There has been a lot of press about the moment about a lack of PPE in the NHS.
"We can't really deal with that - but what we can do is help at the lower end, like with care homes, which are not a priority or thought of.
"We have made these items for care homes in the local area."
Students have been taught about the project and why the school is making the items.
"It is a school for children with social, emotional and mental health difficulties," he said. "They might have been excluded from mainstream schools and the pupil referral unit won't work.
"They end up in our care, very vulnerable students in Sandwell.
"We have been teaching the kids about what we are doing."
The school extended thanks to Ramfoam, based on Hainge Road, Tividale, for providing foam for the face shields.
