Charity's pride after donating picnic tables to KGH

KGH staff, patients and visitors can now take a break outside after a health charity donated 22 picnic tables.

The Northamptonshire Health Charity handed over £10,000 to pay for the tables after a funding request from the hospital’s health and wellbeing group.

The tables – which have their own seating – have been installed across the main hospital site and also at off-site locations in Wellingborough, Corby, Irthlingborough and around the medical records centre in Kettering.

Some of the benches have a rainbow design which signal the hospital’s commitment to equality for all and some are designed to better enable disabled access.

Alice Power, engagement advisor on the hospital’s health and wellbeing committee, said: “During the pandemic we had to restrict the way in which staff socialised and had to introduce social distancing in many different ways.

“One of the things that became clear was that places to eat and drink outside were fairly limited on the hospital site and we thought there was an opportunity to start to address this and achieve some of the well-known health and wellbeing benefits of being outside.

“The picnic tables can be used by anyone and enable staff to relax and chat in their breaks or eat lunch outside in the fresh air.”

Over the last few weeks the hospital’s supply and distribution team have been working hard to put them in place.

Alison McCulloch, head of fundraising for the Northamptonshire Healthcare Charity, said: “We are very proud to support NHS staff wellbeing initiatives locally for our fantastic NHS teams who work so hard to provide the care for our local communities.

“We have funded these beautiful picnic tables for staff as we know how important it is to be able to take a break from work outside in the fresh air.”

In September 2021 the hospital opened a new £31,000 outdoor gym in its Pocket Park for staff, and local people, using funds raised by Captain Sir Tom Moore and NHS Charities Together.

In June this year the hospital’s Pocket Park also had 100 new trees gifted by the Queen’s Green Canopy project to celebrate her platinum anniversary.