Hand sanitiser manufacturer gives free hand gel to Portsmouth students in a bid to beat coronavirus

Peppy Group has sent thousands of hand gels across the country – with 200 going to staff and students at the University of Portsmouth – in a bid to tackle the spread.

It also sent more than 2,500 hand gels to Brunel University, 300 to student nurses at the University of West London, 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.

She said: ‘University settings are super-spreader environments. Our advice would be for the universities to include the students in pro-active cleaning regimes.

‘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 is eco-friendly, plant-based and vegan, and quality checked to 10 EU standards.

SEE ALSO: University of Portsmouth student hit with fine after breaking Covid rules by organising illegal party

Instead of using industrial alcohol, PeppyPure is brewed from sugar cane, which the company says is kinder on the skin, and ideal for frequent use.

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 should email [email protected]

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