Coronavirus West Berkshire: Newbury and District Hackspace donating PPE

Thatcham-based group is laser cutting gear for local hospitals and care homes

A GROUP of local engineering and technology volunteers has been making and delivering personal protective equipment (PPE) to local hospitals and care homes.

Newbury and District Hackspace (NadHack), which specialises in engineering and computing solutions, also wants to work with volunteers in Thatcham to protect as many people as possible.

NadHack is based at the Moors Pavilion, Lower Way, where a small team has been 3D printing and laser-cutting visors to be worn in the fight against Covid-19.

NadHack co-founder Andrew Lindsay said the low-cost, easy-to-make masks could potentially save lives.

The 270 visors made so far have been distributed to 10 NHS trusts, including as far as Wales.

Forty visors have also been sent to a care home in Newbury and another load has been delivered to the West Berkshire Community Hospital.

NadHack even delivered 80 visors on Easter Sunday, saying: “We’ve made deliveries because the virus doesn’t take holidays.”

Mr Lindsay said one group member is a paramedic (see feature right), while others had family working in the NHS.

NadHack workers are using a design that has come from Nottingham Hackspace and their local hospital.

“They have refined the design and have been able to cut it quite quickly,” Mr Lindsay said.

The visors are made from sheets of polypropylene and NadHack has up to two people at once using the gear in the small workshop.

Mr Lindsay said: “Looking at our capacity we could potentially cut 250 a day… it costs less than 50p per visor.

“It’s really easy to clean. They can be wiped down with sanitiser solution and then reused.”

NadHack has also acquired a large quantity of hand sanitiser from Compton-based gin distillers Hawkridge Distillers, to reduce the rate of infection.

The group is talking with Thatcham Town Council and its volunteer network to draw up a list of people who will benefit from the equipment.

Nadhack has set up an appeal to raise £500 to help cover the cost of making the visors, £240 has been raised since the appeal launched on April14.

Make a donation at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/nadhack