UTC South Durham organised a sponsored stair climb which saw competitors scale the combined heights of the National Three Peaks in their own homes on Monday 13th April. 200 people, working as individuals or in teams of up to six, took part in the stair climb to raise funds for UTC’s ‘Visors for Victory’ initiative.
The ‘Visors for Victory’ initiative was created at the beginning of April in response to the lack of PPE available to key workers. UTC South Durham staff designed the visors and have been producing them using laser cutters. Since Thursday 2nd April, UTC have donated over 1500 visors to over 65 organisations across the North East, including hospitals, care homes, GP surgeries, and Foodbanks.
UTC have been raising funds to cover the cost of materials for the visors on their Just Giving page, and through entry fees and sponsorship from the National Three Peaks Stair Climbing Challenge. £24,000 in total has been raised so far, including £16,100 from sponsorship and entry fees from the Challenge. All funds raised will go towards covering the cost of production for the visors. Any remaining funds will be donated to the NHS.
UTC Principal Tom Dower took part in the stair climb challenge on Monday. Speaking shortly after his family of five completed the challenge as a team, Tom said: “The Stair Climbing Challenge was a fantastic opportunity to raise funds for a very worthy cause. It was hard work, but well worth it considering how much we’ve raised to help provide visors to key workers!
As engineering and technology specialists, UTC staff are well placed to use their skills to help provide visors for key workers until they can acquire PPE through medical suppliers.
It has been incredible to see how staff, students, and the wider community have come together to help make these much needed visors. I would like to thank all involved for their generosity!”
Tom’s son Arthur, aged 11, was one of the youngest competitors in the Challenge. Arthur described taking part in the Challenge as “tiring, hot and brilliant!”
UTC have also received generous donations of materials from companies across the country, including acetate sheets from Wright’s Office Supplies, and plastic from AA Flags and the Essex branch of the Netherlands-based company, Desch Plantpak Ltd.
For more information on the visors, please visit: utcsouthdurham.org/visors-for-victory
Photo: District Nurses from Newton Aycliffe, County Durham wearing the visors made at UTC South Durham
