A prospective Edge Hill student's been helping in the fight against the coronavirus by producing PPE for NHS staff.

David Gardner, who will start a BSc in Plant Sciences in September, has been printing a range of six different face shields for health care colleagues from the Scottish Highlands to Canterbury with his housemates.

He said: “A couple of weeks ago I joined a dental and medical Facebook group and it was my housemate who suggested using our printers to create masks for staff who did not have PPE but were expected to treat Covid-19 patients.

“I added a 20 second video to one of our printers in action onto my own Facebook account and by the next day, it had received thousands of views and we received 10,000 orders.

“Our only limit now is that we’ve run out of acetate and sheets, but it has been great to be able to help people and see our efforts be put to good use.”

Paul Ashton, Edge Hill’s Head of the Biology Department, said: "What a

fantastic and resourceful act! While it might not be the usual pre-university activity of applicants, we are living in unusual times and such kindness and ingenuity show that the crisis can bring out the best in people. We look forward to David joining us in September.”

David, who studies at UCEN Manchester, has produced more than 1,500 face shields for medical staff across the country.

He has set up a fundraising page to raise money to buy materials and raise funds for two other organisations

www.gofundme.com/f/faceshields-covid19-ppe-for-frontline-wo…