Bentley will deliver more than 30,000 protective face shields to local care homes and NHS trusts to help in the fight against coronavirus. The company, which is based in Crewe, Cheshire, will 3D print the plastic visors and supply them to the Cheshire care sector, which includes care homes and the NHS.
The British brand’s engineering teams have led the charge in creating the visors, utilising their skills and the company’s 3D printing facilities to produce the masks. They will then be distributed around Cheshire’s healthcare network, including all 95 care homes in the county, as well as the NHS and other local community health services.
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Volkswagen-owned Bentley is the latest manufacturer to announce such a scheme, after Nissan’s Sunderland factory was turned into a distribution centre for much-needed personal protective equipment (PPE) for the NHS. The plant is also making plastic aprons to help those on the coronavirus frontline.
Like Nissan, Bentley is also offering health services more than just face shields. The company has also confirmed it is donating other forms of PPE, such as gloves, facemasks and safety glasses to health services, as well as offering seat covers to services that need them.
At the same time, Bentley is also extending its Bentley Meals on 22-inch Wheels service, which sees employees volunteer to deliver “essential items” around the local community. Staff are using a range of company vehicles to help deliver parcels for local food banks and charities, while they are now ramping up to help shop and drop off vital medical supplies through Cheshire East’s People Helping People programme.
Dr. Astrid Fontaine, Bentley’s board member for people, digitalisation and IT, said the company was putting its capabilities to good use and helping to fight the virus in Cheshire.
“This is such an incredibly difficult time for everyone and with our number one priority being the safety and wellbeing of our colleagues, their families and our communities, we are determined to help as best we can,” she said.
“We are utilising our world-leading engineering and manufacturing expertise, the remarkable vehicles and resources we have available to us, and also our extraordinary colleagues, who are going to such efforts to help the local Cheshire area and the healthcare professions, locally and nationally, who continue to perform such heroics. We will endeavour to work with the whole community in the proceeding weeks and months to help in every way possible in this time of great need.”
Gallery: Bentley's coronavirus efforts
