The School of Art has donated all of its existing personal protective equipment (PPE) to help social care workers during the coronavirus pandemic.

Responding to a call from Brighton & Hove City Council and with permission from the School, close to 4,000 items which are worth approximately £600 have been delivered to Hove Town Hall, where it will be distributed to carers on the front line.

Equipment was gathered from workshops which would normally house the 3D Design and Craft, Fine Art Printing, Fine Art Sculpture, Visual Communications and Fashion and Textiles courses from Grand Parade, having gained permission to access the building which is currently closed due to COVID-19.

Craig Isaac, Workshop Manager, Design and Craft, collated the materials: “During the first week of lockdown myself and colleagues across the school all realised we had a healthy stock of PPE which was due to be used by students in the summer term.

“We use the various pieces of kit in our creative workshops and studios not medical environments but the equipment is suitable for both purposes. I made inquiries into how to get it to those in need during the pandemic and obtained permission to gain entry to Grand Parade to pick up the items this morning”.

The following equipment was donated to the council:

1,800 pairs of disposable gloves

1,400 disposable aprons

550 pairs of disposable arm sleeves

64 pairs of safety spectacles

63 face masks FFP1-2

5 face shields

Find out more about Brighton & Hove City Council’s PPE appeal.