KNUTSFORD residents are busy making hundreds of visors for nursing staff at a hospital in Bolton to help protect them against the coronavirus.
The visors are being created by residents using their own 3D printers to add to the more than 800 visors they have made for hospitals, GP surgeries, paramedics, district nurses, care homes and vets.
Ali Umpleby and her fellow residents are looking to make as many visors as they can over the coming weeks, and have received a boost thanks to the success of an appeal on justgiving.
Andy McNeil from Mobberley wearing one of the visors
The appeal target of £500 has been smashed, raising £1,286, which has been used to buy another printer and rolls of plastic filament for use in making the visors.
Ali thanked family and friends for donating to the appeal, and is speaking to a local charity about the possibility of accessing more funding through the charity to be used to create further visors.
Visors are being produced by Ali and her partner Adam Fowle, along with Martyn and Sarah Chudley, Gary Cheung, Ross McWilliam, Carlo Loregian, Andy McNeil from Mobberley and Mike Bailey from Knutsford IT.
Carlo Loregian in one of the 3D printed visors
About 120 visors are being produced each day, and Ali is hoping to be able to donate a large number to every department at the Bolton hospital at the end of this week.
The hospital was given 30 out of the 100 collected by the Bolton ambulance service, which thanked Ali and the other residents.
A paramedic said: “Myself and my crew mate wore your visors in and out of jobs and critical care wards, and we love them. They gave us a feeling of extra safety too, which is amazing. If you're able to make more for the hospital that would be fantastic.”
Gary Cheung in one of the visors
In addition 150 visors are being collected tomorrow, (Thursday) for renal dialysis units locally.
Since making the protective equipment Ali and her partner wear face masks and visors when they shop for food.
Ali was shocked to see a shopper in the queue for Waitrose laughing at the sight of Adam wearing the face protection as he waited to enter.
“A lot of people aren’t treating this virus seriously enough or adhering to social distancing,” she said.
Mike Bailey from Knutsford IT
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More than 16,000 people have died from coronavirus in the UK out of more than 124,000 cases.
Anyone who would like to support Ali's justgiving appeal can click here.
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