A trio of teachers are working away creating hundreds of face shields for public workers and are calling for people to help provide materials.
Banff Academy principal teacher of design and technology Caroline McFarlane and two of her colleagues, Caitlin Paton and Roisin Steele, have been using the school’s equipment to produce these masks.
Keeping to social distancing rules, the three women decided to make the shields after spotting a tutorial online.
Knowing they had the equipment in school, they got permission from Aberdeenshire Council to use the fancy technical department in Banff Academy which formally opened a year ago after extensive upgrades.
Using the laser cutter they can create face shields to protect key workers made from A3 laminating pouches and some acetate.
Headteacher Alan Horberry said: “Working in partnership with colleagues from Aberdeenshire Council, the plan is to distribute these locally to help protect frontline workers in the battle against Covid-19.
“A target of more than 620 face shields has been set.
“The three teachers have been working in a production line which recognising the social distancing rules and managed to produce almost 100 masks.
“Caroline was able to get the template and knew that we could programme the laser cutter to make these and help our community.
“It’s pretty amazing. My congratulations go to Caroline and her team for demonstrating outstanding initiative and teamwork during this very difficult time.
“Working together like this is really brilliant.”
But as demand requires more to be made, the staff are calling for people to donate materials so they can keep producing shields.
They are calling for donations from people who have supplies of A3 laminating pouches which are a minimum of 200 microns thick and clear acrylic, acetate or PVC equivalents.
Anyone able to help should email caroline.mcfarlane@aberdeenshire.gov.uk
