Supporting nursing and care homes in our community

Our aim was to get 10 schools on board, each supporting the need in a local nursing home within their community.  Within a week, 10 schools took up the initiative providing facial visors for nearly 60 nursing homes. We received additional inquiries from schools looking to potentially join the initiative and a further 10 schools and colleges also got involved. We continued to provide materials to each until supply ran out.

As the schools and colleges were based all across the country, we worked with a number of suppliers to centralise the materials so that they could be delivered quickly to schools and colleges once they were ready to take them in.

The materials we provided consisted of sheets of acrylic, sheets of acetate and elastic bands. To date, this has produced close to 6000 visors which have gone to over 100 nursing homes with a shortfall in PPE.

Formal production of PPE is now taking place in Ireland but it has been a fantastic community initiative supported by Zurich to meet the initial and urgent demand.

Just some of the schools and businesses involved are listed below:

• Desmond College, Newcastle West, Limerick
• Chanel College, Coolock Village, Dublin
• Colaiste Phobal Ros Cre, Roscrea, Co. Tipperary
• CBS Secondary School, Charleville,  Co. Cork
• Convent Secondary School, Convent Road, Roscommon Town
• Craftshapes, Carrigduff, Bunclody, Co. Wexford
• Colaiste Gleann Li, Clash, Tralee, Co Kerry
• Fingal Community College, Swords, Co. Dublin
• Inver College, Carrickmacross, Co. Monaghan
• Villiers School, Limerick
• St. Peter’s College Dunboyne Co Meath
• Bremore Educate Together, Balbriggan, Co. Dublin
• WWETB (Waterford Wexford Education Training Board) and the New Ross and Enniscorthy FabLabs 
• Wesley College, Ballinteer, Dublin