The school’s science team has donated vital protective equipment to Hinchingbrooke Hospital and GP surgeries.

Longsands Academy is at the centre of a concentrated community project to help get vital equipment to the NHS.

Staff from across the school are playing their part in creating Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to keep healthcare staff as safe as possible during this challenging time.

As a first step, the science team has donated vital protective equipment. In total, the team donated 75 safety goggles, five boxes of protective gloves and two face shields to Hinchingbrooke Hospital, as well as further eye and hand protection which they donated to GP surgeries in St Neots.

This was organised by their science technicians, who then collected and cleaned the equipment before donating it to key workers to help them stay healthy and free of infection.

In addition, the technology department has used its expertise and facilities to create protective face masks for local community nurses who are running short.

Using an authorised template, the team used a laser cutter to create 150 protective masks, and is now fundraising to buy more materials. They have raised £1,670 to date, and hope to bring in enough funds so that they can supply 200 masks per week to a local healthcare provider. The school’s fundraising page can be found here: www.gofundme.com/f/dtnhsfacemasks.

School principal, Neil Owen, said: “I am very grateful to our staff who, in addition to keeping the academy open for the children of key workers, have also worked tirelessly to create PPE. The community effort has been tremendous and I know that these items will directly improve conditions for local NHS staff who are doing so much to keep us all safe at this time.”