Kettering woman takes challenge in her stride to provide gifts for KGH staff

A Kettering woman has spoken of her pride after a walking fundraiser saw her donate gifts to staff battling the Covid-19 pandemic at KGH.

Michelle Bell, from the town's Ise Lodge estate, walked 10,000 steps every day for a month from January 4, supported each day in all weathers by 46-year-old husband James.

Michelle, 39, took on the challenge to raise money for KGH's main four departments battling the virus - ICU, the main Covid ward, the Path Lab and the ambulance and A&E.

She used Facebook to get donations from family, friends and total strangers with the Ise Lodge Budgens and Concept Flooring each giving £50.

And Michelle, an attendance officer at Kettering Buccleuch Academy, raised a total of £1,130.

She said: “I thought of the fundraiser idea after Christmas with the main aim of me losing some of the dreaded lockdown weight I had gained since last year, but whilst also doing it for a good cause along the way, and immediately thought of our local heroes and the current situation we are in.

“To raise this amount of money was incredible and to see all the gifts put together at the end, I cannot lie, I felt really proud of myself.

"Giving to people who often get missed, yet do so much for us all, is an amazing feeling."

Michelle used the money to buy lots of crisps, chocolate, biscuits, snacks to grab and go, tea and coffee supplies, fruit, drinks, stationery, lip balms and hand cream, homemade cup cakes and a personalised thank you slate plaque for each of the four. staff rooms

She also put a £70 voucher in each of the four boxes for Pizza Hut for those desperately busy break times on shift, dropping the items off earlier today (Monday).

Michelle jokingly added: “I would love to give you a big weight loss success story to go alongside the gift-giving but sadly, that one will have to wait a while!"