PPE from DC DT
During April 2020 members of the Dulwich College DT (Design and Technology) team have, with our fellow Foundation School JAGS’ (James Allen’s Girls’ School) 3D printers, produced over 2,000 full-face visors for key workers in London, primarily local to the school.
PPE assembly at the College throughout the holidays and into the Summer Term comprises the DT team of Mr James Humphrey, Mr Simon Inchley, Mr Sion Roberts and Mr Chris Towers with Upper School pupils Sam Williams, Zubayr Ghufoor.
Moreover we have distributed over 650 pre-existing forms of eye-protection from the Science and DT departments.
This has been a truly interdisciplinary effort with support from our site officers collecting the hundreds of goggles and masks from across the closed College campus, and the Master leading the distribution of the PPE.
The first model of visor produced was for use in front of house and physically distanced situations, including across the counter, at reception and ordinary consultations. Recipients of the eye-protection include local surgeries, hospitals, care home, pharmacists and hospices, and so many having been in touch with their thanks has humbled us.
Staff at Moorfields Eye Hospital
NHS Hammersmith and Fulham CCG said: “You are doing such an invaluable service to the healthcare profession and you have our deepest gratitude.” Vassall Medical Centre wrote: “Just wanted to say a Big thank you to you and everyone at DC from Vassall Medical Centre and Herne Hill Road Practice.” And Moorfields Eye Hospital tweeted: ‘Heartfelt gratitude to Dulwich College DT Department for providing eye protection for staff at Moorfields Eye Hospital to support the delivery of sight-saving treatment.’
We are donating the PPE and, with the help of the Friends of Dulwich College, we will fundraise to replace all the existing stock and cover the manufacturing costs of making the visor.
The initiative has been picked up and reported widely by the media including Good Morning Britain (watch the clip here), Southwark News, BBC Radio 5Live (do listen to the interview) and crews from BBC London News and TV Tokyo have also visited the workshop to film the production process and talk to the team.
At the end of April our second model of visor received BSI accreditation for close patient care and we made our first commercial sale to a company who have both paid for visors and made a donation to the Hardship Fund.
