BUSINESSES, schools and members of the community across Bournemouth and Poole have joined hundreds around the country in continuing to produce PPE for frontline healthcare staff.

Swanage School have made over 100 face masks on 3D printers to be worn by paramedics, doctors, care home staff and teams at Pharmacies.

The school plan on sharing their initative in the hope that other schools can start laser cutting and manufacturing masks for the community.

Headteacher Jenny Maraspin said: “One of our students Eden Shaffer, who is in year 9, was dismayed when his mum, a paramedic, was fitted with a mask at work but told she has to share it with another colleague.

“Determined to help, Eden then designed a face mask and started to 3D print it, he has made quite a few and these have been distributed around Swanage and there is now a huge demand.

“When the school found out what Eden was doing, the DT department got involved. A design was shared on a DT website by a likeminded DT teacher and the DT department, inspired by Eden’s 3D initiative have today produced and distributed masks to keyworkers around Swanage and Weymouth.”

Since publicising the fact that they are making masks, the school have already had a plastic company has been in touch offering to supply any plastic needed.

Poole High School have also been busy making PPE as well as donating goggles and gloves from the science department to their local hospital.

The school are hoping to have made and delivered over 500 by the end of the week. They plan distribute their visors to hospitals and surgeries across Dorset and as far north as Wales.

Deputy Headteacher Sian Phillips said: “Our Head of Design Technology, Lynda Hart had seen some other schools printing face shields on 3D printers.

“We wanted to help, but the 3D printer is quite a long process, so Lynda designed a new model using the laser cutter in school.

“She made the design as simple to construct as possible, but with a cushion as we had seen in the press that front line workers were having to wear PPE for hours at a time.

The school have been helped by Steve Lumber at Precision Units, a Poole acrylic engineering company, who have supplied the clear plastic at no cost.

Sian added: “Lynda is an inspiration to our students, and now also among our community as so many people have reached out to congratulate her for her work.”

The school are in talks with Bournemouth University to try and source some materials and have also contacted BandQ in Poole who are seeing what they can do to help.

Local artist Life in Layers, who is also subject leader of Design Technology at Corfe Hills School, Broadstone, has decided to put his Easter holidays to good use by using his home laser cutter to produce protective face shields.

Will has had difficulties sourcing resources but thanks to donations by Precision Units Dorset, Corfe Hills School and Poole High to trying out prototypes, he has honed the design process to something that is now fit for purpose.

Due to the demand he has encountered, he has even drafted in the help of the local community with neighbours and locals offering their time to assemble the face shields as he carries on with the production of kits.

Neighbour Sam Eeles said: “I’m really impressed by our neighbour Will Storey who has realised the need for protective masks and has turned his laser printer, usually used for his artwork, into a production line.

“He’s worked out the design, sourced materials and been busy producing the masks.

“All day the garden room has been rumbling like a tumble drier and Will has been juggling production with looking after his two small children.

“He’s mobilised the street and we all have a package to make up into the final product. We’re all happy to help where we can.”

The first batches will be ready to go out over the course of this week.