KIND-hearted staff and pupils at a Whitefield school have helped people across the borough and Greater Manchester stay safe during the coronavirus outbreak by hand-making and delivering personal protective equipment (PPE).

Over the last three months, teachers at Philips High School have been busy at work creating dozens of PPE plastic face protectors.

They were also helped out by pupils who were in school, as the children of key workers.

These face masks were then delivered and used to support dozens of frontline workers and organisations, including care homes and charities.

Tina Owen, headteacher at Philips High School, said: “I have been unbelievably proud of all my staff, pupils parents and governors who have pulled together to ensure not only that learning can take place but also caring can take place.

“Mrs Baily [assistant headteacher] and her team have tirelessly made face masks, delivered food parcels and hampers whilst at the same time ensuring the smooth running of the school alongside myself and the leadership team.

“Our community work is very important to us and this has been highlighted over the past 100 days where our work has not stopped.”

The school’s incredible PPE project began in April when Matt Grundy, head of design and technology, and art teacher Vicky Craig started to repurpose the technology department’s dormant equipment for making masks.

Although the school had the machinery needed to make PPE, materials for the masks initially proved hard to source.

However, they were helped out by Radcliffe-based GJ Plastics and Trafford-based firm, Pyramid, who donated the much needed items.

Once the masks had been made they were delivered by Ms Owen, Nick Ralph, MFL teacher, Justine Bailey, assistant head, and other staff, to all care homes in Whitefield and Radcliffe as well as some in Bury and Bolton; Broughton House, Nazareth House, The Fed, Bury Hospice and Barnabus homelessness charity.

Another organisation to receive PPE from Philips High was Park Cakes in Oldham, who, in gratitude, gave the school dozens of cakes.

These were then made up into hampers by school staff and donated to key workers.

Hampers were delivered to Whitefield and Radcliffe care homes and primary schools, funeral services, veterinary surgeries, medical centres, Bury police officers, North West Ambulance Service, Whitefield Fire Station, Fairfield General Hospital, North Manchester Hospital, Harpurhey Dogs Home, Bleakholt Animal Sanctuary, Prestwich Delivery Post Office, RSPCA Hospital, and Broughton House nursing home for military veterans.