Kingsleigh Primary School in Kinson contacted the Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital and AFC Bournemouth’s ‘Bug Busters’ team to help halt the spread of germs this winter ahead of Global Handwashing Day on Thursday October 15.
Now in its second year, the ‘Bug Busters’ joint partnership programme teaches schoolchildren from across the county how to stop the spread of common infections, like coughs and colds, by promoting correct hygiene techniques to prevent absence from school.
Richard Gower, headteacher at Kingsleigh Primary School, said: “We contacted the Nuffield Health Bug Busters team to visit our school as the message it promotes is crucial to the health and wellbeing of our pupils. The workshops were a great success, being fun and active while imparting useful health and hygiene practices.”
Led by Nuffield Health Bournemouth’s infection prevention lead Chris Tickner, the workshops demonstrate how to wash hands properly by using a UV light box to reveal unsanitary areas where hands have not been cleaned correctly. To further enhance the key messages, AFC Bournemouth’s Community Sports Trust team held an interactive playground session for the Kingsleigh children.
Chris Tickner of Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital, commented: “The programme intends to help children across Dorset understand the importance of thorough handwashing, which is vital in avoiding the spread of illness and infections throughout the classroom. We were delighted to see the children at Kingsleigh School so engaged as they learnt what makes bacteria potent.”
Nuffield Health Bournemouth Hospital and AFC Bournemouth are visiting as many schools as possible in Dorset to deliver the ‘Bug Busters’ workshop. Schools interested in finding out more about Bug Busters are invited to contact Steve Cuss at AFC Bournemouth on 01202 726342, or the Nuffield Bournemouth Hospital’s friendly customer services team on 01202 702830.