Since the start of the Easter holidays, two members of St Gabriel’s staff have been extremely busy supporting our frontline workers in their fight against Covid-19.  With the increase in demand for PPE across the country, Mrs Jenny Knott, Head of Design Technology, has been using the laser printer and the Technology Rooms to produce visors, which have now been distributed to West Berkshire and North Hampshire hospitals and care providers.  More materials are on the way and production will continue as soon as they arrive.

Ms Mel Hunter, who teaches Textiles and Art, has been making scrubs (top, trousers and washing bag) to the NHS specifications.  Each set of scrubs takes a day to make and the Royal Berkshire Hospital has already received its first delivery.

 Mr Smith, Principal, is extremely proud of the initiative his staff have taken. 

“There is a strong sense of community at St Gabriel’s and like so many others around the country, we wanted to do what we could to support our frontline NHS workers. Our Design Technology and Art Textiles Departments took it upon themselves to make visors and scrubs that we could then pass on to where they are most needed in the community. Ironically the visors were a little slow to get going as we had to get the design  file through our own anti-virus software!  I am immensely proud of Jenny and Mel  who are putting so much effort and time into the production of these essential pieces of PPE over the holidays." 

Ms Hunter's Year 9 Textiles class also utilised their last lesson before the school moved to remote learning to make face masks for their own personal use and enable them to make simple masks for family members.