The Campus Stars campaign has been launched to showcase the colleagues still working on campus during the lockdown and highlight the crucial work they do.

Domestic Services at Derby School of Medicine have been working daily throughout the coronavirus crisis. Eight members of the team have continued to travel to work during lockdown.

Building Attendant, Jane Lord, has worked alone through the day shifts and has been on hand to provide access for contractors who have been carrying out urgent repairs. Jane also carries out weekly alarm checks and receives deliveries and has found it much quieter without staff and students.

During the evenings, Senior Building Attendant Gerry Marsden has worked with a cleaning team comprising of Natasha Wheatley, Clare Schofield, Renata Reduchowsksa, Pat McColl, Afif Yusof and Malgorzata Salamanowicz. The team say that the Medical School is very quiet without the students and with only 27 authorised colleagues there.

Lockdown has provided a great opportunity for deep cleaning without disturbing staff and students. One or two cobwebs have disappeared from the near impossible heights to reach, with the help of some long poles and improvisation. Weekly Water Flushing has been one of the new tasks being carried out, as the many taps and toilets in the Med School aren’t being regularly used.

Social distancing at work has been crucial of course, so the cleaning team have been working in different areas of the building to limit any close contact. They have also focused on cleaning frequently touched areas of the building with disinfectant such as handrails, door handles, taps, toilets and anything else regularly used. Student study rooms have also had a thorough clean and are ready for the students to return.

Although the team have made the most of getting a lot of work done without many interruptions, they can’t wait to see everyone return and Derby School of Medicine busy with staff and students again.