Hull University & SMC PPE Project Collaboration
22nd May 2020
St Mary’s College were invited to take part in a collaborative project with Hull University to distribute much needed Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to both the health and social care sectors across the local community.
The city's University has manufactured tens of thousands of medical standard face shields for key workers, supporting local and national efforts to combat COVID-19. The project has been supported by local companies and a successful fund-raising campaign.
The re-usable face shields are now being delivered to the local community….and this is where we have been able to help.
A group of our SM6 Year 13 students, who are part of the Medical Health and Social Care Academy, volunteered to work with the project. Students were given a postal code area in Hull, and with the support of the university, were tasked with researching local need, approaching organisations and coordinating distribution. The students worked hard in supporting the project and in less than a week were able to allocate nearly 1,000 face shields and help distribute these to the organisations.
Jordan Milnes from the University of Hull was the main contact for our students – he writes “From our very first meeting, it was apparent how motivated and determined the students from St Mary’s were to make a difference in their community. They have been a pleasure to work with throughout the process and they have all demonstrated the utmost professionalism and enthusiasm for the project. The University of Hull would like to thank them all for their hard work and the whole of the St Mary’s community should be incredibly proud of this wonderful group of students.”
Our students have really enjoyed being part of the project and gained a lot from the experience.
"It's at times like this working together is even more important. It was a privilege to support the key services keeping the country going” Tharushi
“From this project I have learnt just how important and needed PPE is in health and social care services and how it can really help those in need, especially in times like these. As tiring as the delivering was, I am extremely glad and grateful that I was able to help so many people and save lives in the process. I really enjoyed taking part in this project and I’m really proud of everyone involved in it - well done!” Kaitlin
"I feel honoured to have taken part in such an important project; it has been wonderful to contribute in a small way during such a difficult time and the wonderful work that Hull University are doing is helping to protect so many amazing people who are working tirelessly during this awful pandemic. Thank you so much for this opportunity.” Liv
“The PPE Project was really rewarding. When delivering the face shields, it was really nice to see how much key workers appreciated our work and how much they were needed. I really enjoyed working on this project.” Lydia
“I have really enjoyed giving back to the community, it has been amazing to connect with people I perhaps wouldn’t normally have. It has been a great experience and will hopefully benefit everyone in our region. By doing this act of kindness we really have helped to lift people’s spirits” Maisie
“From doing the project, I have come to understand that being safe is very important during these difficult times and by coming together as a team and working with the different organisations, we were able to give PPE to those who needed it. That kind of generosity really meant a lot to those organisations and made them feel safer within their roles.” Beth
This has been a great opportunity for our students to work with one of our key partners in the Medical Academy and to support such a fantastic project in the local community.
For more information go to the University of Hull's PPE operation web page.
May 2020
University Vice Chancellor echoes thanks
Professor Susan Lea, Vice Chancellor of the University of Hull has added her praise and gratitude to the SM6 students involvement in the project with this letter below: