A "SMALL idea" has transformed into a project supplying around 2,500 key workers with visors, as well as raising more than £17,000.

Since Monday, April 6, St Joseph's Catholic School in Laverstock has been busy creating face shields and reaching out to the community for support, in order to supply personal protective equipment (PPE) to anyone who needs it amid the Covid-19 crisis.

Within just five days the school had raised £12,000 to help with funding materials and postage, and after the Easter weekend the total stood at more than £17,000, covering the cost of materials to make a further 45,000 visors.

As well as donations more businesses and volunteers have got involved throughout the week, meaning up to 2,000 visors are now being created each day with five more cutting locations set up.

Deputy head teacher at St Joseph's Kevin McGuinness, who launched the project, moved a plastic laser cutting machine from the school to his home, turning his kitchen into a workshop where visors could be made for 16 hours a day.

Speaking to the Journal, Kevin said that within a few days of his "small idea" key workers were ordering masks "by the hundreds", adding that they take "less than a minute to assemble".

Previously an industrial designer, Kevin said: "I just thought I could make these masks while the school was kept open, it gave me something to do and it helped in keeping the community working together.

"I hoped the school would back me, I bought £800 worth of plastic on my credit card and I told the school we would fundraise and get this money back. We raised £4,000 on the first day, and it has just been bonkers since."

The school has been supplying staff at hospitals, care homes and shops across six counties with the resources, with sites including Salisbury District Hospital, Royal Bournemouth Hospital, Isle of Wight Air Ambulance, South West Complex Care Services and Watford General Hospital.

Kevin added: "We're sending these off to anyone and everyone, they just do the job and protect. With these we are able to help other places like care homes, which were much further down the line in needing PPE.

"It is going really well and everyone involved loves it, we are helping a lot of people and it gives a sense of purpose. People are donating, driving, sorting and tracking delivery orders - the Salisbury community is just staggeringly brilliant."

For more information and to donate visit Kevin's GoFundMe page.