Creative Northampton teacher comes up with a way to help everyone stop forgetting their masks

A local deputy head teacher has come up with a creative way to stop herself, and other people, from forgetting their masks.

Adèle O’Doherty from Northampton High School, made a mask pouch for herself that clips onto a bag or a belt, after she kept leaving her face covering at home.

Using a sewing machine and working a mini production line, Adèle then made more pouches for her family and decided to take some into school for staff and pupils.

The keen sewer said: “I kept leaving my face mask at home or in the car and I quite like sewing so I thought I could find a solution.

“I found a pattern online and adapted it a little because I thought it would be good if the pouches could clip onto things.

“I made one for myself, then for my husband and children because they liked them, then my whole family wanted them.

“I'd made loads of them so I thought I’d bring them into school and they’ve been really popular.

“I brought 20 in to start with on the first day of school and they’d all gone within a day.

“We’re wearing masks in corridors and communal areas but not in classrooms, but we don’t want to put masks on desks. This way we can keep it somewhere that is washable.

“I’ve seen loads of people walking round school with them clipped on their bags.”

According to Adèle, the pouches are cheap to make, but people kept asking her if they could give her some money for them.

Instead of accepting the offers, Adèle said donations could be made to the staff charity as an alternative.

Staff decided to carry on supporting Medical Detection Dogs this year, as last year the school was closed for a large proportion, so most fundraising could not take place.

The cause is one Adèle is keen to support, after her two-year-old, Cockapoo rescue dog, Billy, showed signs of detecting his owner’s possible Covid-19 case earlier this year.

Adèle added: “I was poorly quite early on in the pandemic before testing was really available.

“My doctor is fairly sure I did have Covid and while I was unwell Billy, who is normally my little shadow, would not come anywhere near me, was acting strange and was really unsure of me.

“Then as soon as I was better, he was back to normal.”

Now Adèle has made around 100 pouches using different patterns including ones with flamingos and unicorns.

Anyone who has picked up a pouch and wants to donate, can do so on Adèle’s JustGiving page.

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