Shropshire Star

Fundraising campaigns launched for Covid-19 protective equipment and supplies as Shropshire schools make donations

Fundraising campaigns have been launched to raise money for Covid-19 protective equipment and supplies for frontline workers at Shropshire's hospitals – as schools have made their own donations.

Published
Last updated

A JustGiving page is raising money for toiletries such as shower gel, shampoo and hand cream for staff at Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Telford's Princess Royal Hospital, with the appeal reaching more than £900 in just a day.

A message on the online fundraising page says: "We are raising funds to provide all staff with specific items they tell us they need - shower gel, shampoo, washing detergents etc (many need to shower several times a day, clothes need constant washing) hand cream for sore hands, some tasty treats would be welcome too.

"These will be provided for any staff member - and will be in the brand new all-staff wellbeing hubs set up in both hospitals."

See also:

Another online fundraiser has been set up by Tina Picken from Trench, Telford, on the gofundme website.

It says NHS staff at the hospitals in Telford and Shrewsbury "are quickly running out of protective suits and measures to keep themselves safe".

It continues: "As a result of this, we have managed to source a supplier who is willing to provide as many of the necessary items as he can.

"He is currently providing the items with a discount - each suit costs roughly £5, however, each NHS worker requires at least one a day in order to keep themselves and the public safe.

"A number of suits have already been purchased from our own pockets, however, this is nowhere enough to meet the sheer demand that is needed."

The fundraiser has raised more than £390 in a matter of days.

To support them visit gofundme.com/f/protective-suits-for-the-nhs and justgiving.com/fundraising/telford-shrewsburyhospitalsstaffsupport-covid19-2020-with-sincere-thanks-from-the-people-of-shropshire

Concerns about the supply of personal protective equipment in the county where raised during a briefing among MPs, council officials and health bosses earlier this week.

But Dr Arne Rose, medical director at Shropshire and Telford Hospital NHS Trust, says while there have been shortages of personal protective equipment across the UK, the trust had not run out of anything it needed and, this week, took delivery of thousands more masks.

Resources

Meanwhile, schools have been playing their own part by donating equipment.

Coordinating the contribution is Sarah Godden, headteacher at Oldbury Wells School in Bridgnorth.

"We are aware that the supply of PPE for NHS and care workers has been a problem for front line staff caring for patients with coronavirus," said Mrs Godden.

"We realised that secondary schools right across the country had safety goggles, sitting in their science labs and tech workshops. We quickly donated ours to our local hospitals where they went straight to staff. We are sure that if health and care providers are short of PPE, that approaching their local secondary School could be a good solution."

Across Shropshire schools have become involved and around 500 pairs of safety specs have been distributed from 10 schools.

The shortage of PPE in other parts of the NHS and for care workers and nursing homes has also been highlighted.

Most recently, 200 pairs of school safety goggles were donated to Bridgnorth Hospital for its community care nursing team. The safety goggles came from William Brookes School, The Corbet School and Grove School.

Other establishments which have also donated, include Church Stretton School, Priory School, Thomas Adams, Mary Webb and Shrewsbury School.

Concord College in Acton Burnell also donated 6,000 surgical masks, as well as 130 pairs of safety specs and 24 boxes on non-latex gloves.

The masks, including 3,000 to Shropdoc, have been sent to the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital, which in addition received the goggles and gloves donated from Concord College’s science stock.

Staff at the school have been voluntarily driving this equipment to healthcare establishments and have used contacts from other schools, students’ parents and Medical Futures Conference visiting professionals.

Head of lower school Rachel Coward inspired the idea of donating protective equipment.

Jeremy Kerslake, Concord vice principal and designated safeguarding lead, said: “There was a plea that came from the Guardian newspaper for school science departments to donate resources.

“Executive head and teacher from Oldbury Wells School, Sarah Godden, started to co-ordinate this.

"Corbet School were also providing some equipment.”

Barry Brown, head of science at Concord, said: “I dropped off most of the specs and all the gloves with Dr Herman who is an A&E consultant and came to our recent Medical Futures Conference.

“I also dropped off 15 sets of specs at Mytton Oak GP Surgery as they are waiting for an order of PPE which has been delayed.”

Sorry, we are not accepting comments on this article.