Telford school produces visors for Severn Hospice teams

A Telford secondary school has used its design and technology expertise to make dozens of visors for staff at Severn Hospice – with a helping hand from the town centre Rotary Club.

Dr Gill Eatough, centre, presents the visors to Severn Hospicestaff in Telford

Hadley Learning Community (HLC), one of six schools which are part of the town’s Learning Community Trust, has made an initial batch of 50 visors for the hospice teams in Telford and Shrewsbury.

Dr Gill Eatough, executive principal and chief executive of the Trust, helped to deliver the visors to the hospice team at Apley – while keeping her social distance.

She said: “This is very much a partnership project with Telford Centre Rotary Club, which has close links with HLC and has kindly covered the cost of the materials.

“HLC has a very close relationship with Severn Hospice, as one of our lovely teaching staff passed away in the hospice just over a year ago.

“The team did everything possible to make her last weeks as comfortable and fulfilling as possible, and in return the school has done lots of fundraising for the hospice in her memory.”

Engineering technician Gary Harbourne has used the on-site manufacturing facilities at HLC to produce the visors, following the recommended design and safety specifications.

Gary Harbourne producing the visors in the engineeringdepartment at Hadley Learning Community

Helen Duce, community services matron at the hospice, said the generous donation was "greatly appreciated by staff, patients, and their loved ones."

Paul Roberts, executive principal at HLC, said: “I am proud that HLC is really doing all it can to support our community in the fight against Covid- 19, and providing necessary PPE to the nursing staff at the hospice.”

Nick Burn, president of Telford Centre Rotary Club added: “The club is delighted to support this fantastic community project to support the dedicated staff at the Severn Hospice with these visors.”

The Learning Community Trust, which also includes Charlton and Ercall Wood secondary schools, plus Queensway Special School, and HLC primary, has been helping the community through lockdown.

It has already loaned Ercall Wood’s two 16-seater minibuses to the Wrekin Housing Group, allowing it to deliver support to the most vulnerable people who are isolating during the Covid-19 lockdown.

And Wrekin View school in Wellington has opened a ‘community fridge’ to ensure local people have access to fresh food and drink.