A school’s entire stock of science safety glasses has been donated to the Great Western Hospital.

Staff at Lawn Manor Academy donated all 250 pairs of glasses to the hospital to help protect staff during the coronavirus pandemic.

Headteacher Sandra Muir contacted staff at the hospital, after seeing New College donate equipment, to see if the NHS still needed personal protection equipment.

“They told me that they have a desperate need for PPE, and so we arranged for all our science safety glasses, some full face visors and 1400 medical grade gloves that we had in stock to be dropped off to Brighter Futures at GWH,” said Mrs Muir.

“A lot of schools all over the country are doing this, and it’s a great illustration of how schools genuinely are at the heart of our communities.

“I’m very conscious of the fact that NHS workers are putting the community before themselves every time they go into work.

“They are working incredibly long hours in what must be very stressful conditions and it just didn’t make sense to have unused PPE lying in cupboards when the students are working at home and nurses and doctors are treating sick patients.

“I’m very pleased that the Brighter Futures team can get them through to the NHS workers who need them most at the moment.”

A spokesperson for Brighter Futures, the charity of the Great Western Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said staff there were delighted with the donation.

They said: “We are very grateful for the amazing response from Lawn Manor Academy.

“It was really thoughtful.

"The response from the local area as a whole has been fantastic.”

Royal Wootton Bassett Academy donated more than 1,000 pairs of medical grade gloves to Brighter Futures.

Alongside the schools, owners Cherise and Phil Merritt of Smart Car UK, a car body repair shop, donated 150 face masks and almost 2,000 gloves to First City Nursing and Retain Healthcare.

Mr Merritt said: “You see on the news that people are struggling to get hold of them and if I’m sitting on a load of it then it’s only right.

“Anyone out there who has this equipment should think about doing the same thing.”

Owner of Barbary Shooting School, Huw Stephens, has provided eye protection for staff working in central Swindon GP surgeries.

Medical director and GP partner, Dr Richard Carter, said: “We are all very grateful to the school for their kind and thoughtful donation.”