Joining forces with design and technology departments all over the country, staff from three Cornish schools have been doing their bit to help donate PPE to frontline Covid-19 workers.

Truro School, Helston Community College and Mullion School are the latest schools to get onboard creating face shields for NHS staff and care workers in Cornwall.

In Truro, DT department teachers Chris Baker, Miss Coleridge and Mr Shardlow have utilised their skills during the Easter holidays after seeing a huge demand for equipment. A social media post attracted much attention and requests came flooding in fast.

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Truro School's Chris Baker models a face shield

Mr Baker said: “Once we had a prototype we were confident would work, we were able to generate overwhelming interest through social media in a short period of time, which gave us the motivation to get making immediately.

“We were able to make 90 reuseable shields in a day, which have already been distributed to surgeries, care homes and hospitals across mid-Cornwall, and we plan to make more over the coming days.”

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Mullion School staff have been working with staff at Helston Community College. Photo: Mullion School/Facebook

The face shields are made using an adjustable laser-cut polypropylene headband and a curved PVC shield, which can be wiped clean.

Two of the school’s Creality CR10 3D printers have also been loaned to a former student who is producing face shields for the Newquay and Padstow areas.

Mr Baker said: “The school’s 3D printers are busy. Although materials are increasingly scarce, we have been able to source additional materials, which should keep us in production for a while yet.”

Further west, Mrs Tatham and Mr Gilbert from Mullion School have been working with Helston staff to also make visors for the NHS.

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Photo: Mullion School/Facebook