Kingswood School has continued its community outreach work during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The school joined with other local independent schools in a mass effort to make more protective visors and distribute them around Bath to GPs, care centres and the RUH. Mr Barney Brown, Head of DT, used 3D printing to make PPE and cut the face shields at home in a makeshift workshop. Volunteer pupils and staff helped assemble them. Some were made directly for the ICU in Bath, which were more time-consuming, and others went to nursing and elderly care centres. In excess of 100 masks were made.
Mrs Emma Brown, Head of English, and Mrs Leigh Page, Accounts Assistant, were both at their sewing machines, making in excess of 200 washbags for NHS staff. Mrs Page also made scrubs, having received a donation of material.
The Science Departments supplied a large number of medical-standard disposable gloves, bibs, overshoes and safety glasses to the local surgeries – organised and delivered by technicians from the School.
A parent at the school enlisted her company to donate 200 surgical face masks to a large NHS practice in Bristol.
Finally, a Y13 student recently edited two videos of an original song “Dare We?” in memory of the first doctor to die from Covid 19. The project was produced by an ex-Kingswood Drama scholar and has raised nearly £2,500 for the NHS.
Other fundraising initiatives have taken place during the lockdown period.
The PE Department launched a Foundation-wide appeal that also served as a House competition in aid of Winston’s Wish. The charity provides specialist bereavement support services for children and families who have lost a parent or sibling and helps them to manage their grief. At the time of writing, nearly £600 has been raised by the school community for this cause.
One of the Houses organised a sponsored 1,000 mile challenge in mid-June to commemorate the distance from the D-Day landing beaches in Normandy to Berlin, for the 75th anniversary of VE day. The school community raised nearly £2,500 for Help for Heroes and Shine Bright Support.
It has also continued to support one of its partner state school’s projects aimed at providing food parcels worth £25 each for 23 families who are struggling financially so that they are able to maintain these food parcels throughout the summer holidays.
Members of the Kingswood community have also collected for the Bath Foodbank, with the charity just one of a few publicised in the school’s newsletter, along with Genesis Trust and Bath Festivals.