University students are receiving free donations of hand sanitiser in a bid to wipe out the rising number of Covid infections.
Higher education has been at the heart of a dramatic rise in positive Covid cases across Britain, urging London-based sanitiser manufacturer Peppy Group to take action.
So far, more than 2,500 hand gels have been given to Brunel University, 300 to student nurses at the University of West London, 200 to students and staff at the University of Portsmouth and talks are ongoing to donate to other universities.
This comes on top of shipments to more than 800 UK schools – state and private, primary and secondary – as well as councils and care homes, charities, sports groups and key workers.
Jane Geary, director of partnerships at Peppy Group (UK), advised universities to keep a close eye on their students.
“University settings are super spreader environments. Our advice would be for the universities to include the students in pro-active cleaning regimes,” he/she said.
“In primary schools and secondary schools, teachers keep an eye on the pupils and make sure they are following guidelines.
“Our impression is that university students are left to their own devices.
“It is impossible to put a sanitising station in every corner of a major campus and therefore it should be imperative that every student has a personal sanitiser.
“This is an emergency so we wish to make a contribution to the Covid struggle. Initially we are happy to donate sanitisers, and should a school or university wish to order more, we offer a very competitive rate.”
The PeppyPure sanitiser donated to schools and universities is eco-friendly, plant-based and vegan, and quality checked to 10 EU standards.
Instead of using industrial alcohol, PeppyPure is brewed from sugar cane, so it is kinder on the skin, and is ideal for frequent use.
Michaela Community School headmistress Katharine Birbalsingh, who has just been made a CBE for services to education, praised the PeppyPure sanitisers for being “the perfect size for a blazer pocket or school bag.”
Peppy Group has been vocal about the quality and effectiveness of sanitisers on the market, after studies found some were below the standard required to kill bacteria safely.
Ms Geary added: “In the USA, hand sanitisers have to be regulated for content. Not so here in the UK.
“Here they are generally effective but they’re not always completely safe or pleasant to use.
“Some even contain harmful ingredients such as industrialised alcohol methanol, and they leave a sticky residue that over time dries out the skin and even possible chronic poisoning.
“It’s important to Peppy that we strive to be the best, whether it’s using top quality ingredients or supporting our community when it needs us most.”
Any school or university interested in receiving a donation of sanitisers from the Peppy Group should contact them at Jane@Peppygroup.com
