Staff from Arts University Bournemouth (AUB) have created more than 220 sets of garments for NHS medical staff to use throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
The custom-sized equipment has been manufactured by a range of staff from across the arts university, with staff members from AUB’s Fashion, Costume, Photography and PrepHE courses assisting in the design and production process.
Manufacturing has been overseen by Tom Preston, AUB’s Technical Operations Manager for Art, Design and Architecture, who has been based at the university’s Wallisdown campus throughout the design and fabrication processes.
Tom said: “We’re always so very proud of all of our staff at AUB, but this effort perhaps underlines our staff’s desire to get involved directly and help out care providers during this very unusual time. These scrubs, which are custom sized to order by care providers, will ensure that NHS staff are best placed to protect themselves, as well as others, in the fight against coronavirus.
He added: “Once we return to a more normal lifestyle in the future, it’ll be particularly poignant to remember how those from across the arts and design sector have come together to support one another in such a time of need, and it’s been wonderful to have been a part of that.”
In addition to fabricating the scrubs, the university has also been able to handle the logistics around the supply and distribution of the vital equipment to NHS services across the local area and wider region, including to staff at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Poole Hospital and University Hospital Southampton.
In addition to fabricating the scrubs, the university has also been able to handle the logistics around the supply and distribution of the vital equipment to NHS services across the local area and wider region, including to staff at Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Poole Hospital and University Hospital Southampton.
When the pandemic reached the UK in March, the university began supporting care providers with small batches of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) drawn from its own art studio supplies. Since then, AUB’s cutting-edge 3D printing facilities have been geared towards fabricating their own in-house PPE equipment, built for NHS staff by AUB technical staff and distributed via the university’s Innovation Team.
Made possible by generous donations and assistance from Morgan Sindall and 3DPRINTUK, 5,000 units have already been distributed across the conurbation and wider area, while a further 5,000 units are currently being produced in order to keep up with national demand for the protective care equipment.
AUB Vice Chancellor and Principal Professor Paul Gough said: “The AUB community, from academic staff, to technicians, students and professional services staff, have shown an outstanding sense resilience and optimism throughout this difficult period, and we are so very proud of each of them.
“However, I’d like to pay particular tribute to our fantastic technical staff, who are currently working tirelessly at our Wallisdown campus to create equipment that will be used to save lives throughout the course of the pandemic. Your efforts at this most testing time, couldn’t be more important or appreciated.
He added: “As centres of education and learning, universities have rushed forward to assist in the crisis in so many different ways, and we’re just grateful to have been a small part of this national effort.”
The University is asking for care providers looking for equipment, materials and assistance to contact its Innovation Team directly at innovation@aub.ac.uk.
