Textiles teachers launch 'socially distant' workshop at Leeds school to sew vital scrubs for NHS staff

Textiles teachers at a Leeds secondary school have launched a 'socially distant' workshop to manufacture scrubs for the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic.
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Teachers at Roundhay School launched the initiative on Tuesday, working as part of a Yorkshire-wide Facebook group to cut, sew and distribute vital scrubs to Yorkshire hospitals.

Working at a safe distance in one of three textiles classrooms, five teachers cut 20 scrubs before taking them home to sew during the night.

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They will contribute about 50 scrubs a week to the Yorkshire-wide initiative, Yorkshire Scrubs - For The Love of Scrubs, which is coordinating the supplies to reach the NHS.

Textiles teachers at Roundhay School making scrubs for the NHSTextiles teachers at Roundhay School making scrubs for the NHS
Textiles teachers at Roundhay School making scrubs for the NHS

Emma Multaney, head of Design and Technology (DT) and Textiles at Roundhay School, is organising the workshop and hopes more staff will get on board in the coming weeks.

The mum-of-four said: "Not being in the school is heartbreaking and we wanted to do something to help.

"We're the first school to get involved and it's been a lot of organisation, but it's worth it knowing we're contributing.

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"Textiles has been scrapped as a standalone GSCE, so it's nice that we're back doing what we love and making a difference. We love textiles and we love the school!

"If people can go to the JustGiving page and donate anything, it would be great, as we can turn that money into fabric."

Mrs Multaney and the school's headteacher Matthew Partington personally donated money towards the first 12 bolts and 30 metres of fabric.

The school has also donated science goggles and other personal protective equipment (PPE) to the NHS and is delivering food daily to vulnerable families.

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Mr Partington said: "The textiles staff got in touch with me to ask for permission to use the building and I thought it was an absolutely brilliant idea.

"I'm so proud of what our staff are doing, but I'm also aware of so many schools across the city doing brilliant things to help.

"There is all this talk of Leeds being a child-friendly city, and this shows that's all genuine."

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