KGH say thank you for almost 300,000 donations during pandemic

KGH has been supported by more than a quarter of a million donations so far as it helps the community battle coronavirus.

Front line staff at the hospital have been supported by almost 300,000 donations and gifts since March.

The hospital received so much support that a 19-strong team was set up to distribute the the gifts.

We Care Team Leader Jayne Chambers said: "We were overwhelmed and humbled by what happened. At a time of national emergency where it could easily have been a case of every person for themselves - instead we had the opposite.

"Our first donation on March 20 was a lorry-load of 2,000 hand-tied bouquets of flowers from Lidl in Northampton delivered by the Knights of Old transport company.

"We were then inundated with phone calls and in the weekend before lockdown began on March 23 we had 5,040 items donated."

In just a week, the hospital had more than 28,600 donated items and incoming deliveries with thousands of Easter eggs for staff.

A whole recreation hall was turned into a mini warehouse to store all the donated goods.

Donations and gifts were sent around to staff and a We Care Cafe was set up to offer staff struggling with working conditions to access support.

It made a big difference to KGH's dedicated staff.

Director of nursing and quality, Leanne Hackshall, said: "Working during Covid-19 was very, and still is, stressful.

"Staff have been redeployed to new teams. They have had to work in personal protective equipment all of the time, often for the first time. They have had to be vigilant with infection control all of the time and had to go home to their families afterwards.

"But the support of our community has helped us to get through this."

Deputy Sister Laura Morgan, who works on the Clifford Ward, has been part of a 50-strong team caring round-the-clock for Covid-19 patients in the ward's 27 beds.

Laura said: "During the height of Covid-19 it was just so hard for us. You could be wearing a full protection suit, tight high protection mask, and goggles or visor.

"After you have put them on, with breaks, you were in them for 12 hours.

"Patients, particularly the hard of hearing, can't lip read and can't understand what you are saying, which makes communication all the harder, it's psychologically very hard.

"Having the gifts, the meals and the chance to join in with the clap for the NHS with the wonderful police, ambulance and fire service flashing their lights, it just helped relieve all of that pressure."

Urgent Care Wards Matron Louise Hyde said: "It could feel quite isolating for us during the peak of the pandemic.

"Seeing all the gifts, the messages, the cards of support, it made it all so much easier. You felt that people were behind you. We have been very, very grateful for everything people have done for us."

Healthcare assistant Sarah Feakin said: "It was all so amazing. The weekly clap for the NHS, the daily care packages of food and drink, the hand cream for our hands (that) were so sore after so much washing every day, they all played a part.

"People were just so thoughtful. It was quite overwhelming to see just how much they cared for us and about us."

Yvonne Rutter, a nurse on Clifford Ward, said: "People made little things to stop the masks from hurting our ears because we were wearing those masks all day.

"They made us hand-made scrubs which were cooler underneath our hazmat protective overalls.

"They made us laundry bags so we could take our uniforms home and wash them each day. We are so grateful for all of those things. They made all the difference."

Donations have come from local individuals and from companies.

Simon Weldon, KGH's chief executive, said: "We want to say a heart-felt thank you to each and every person who has supported us through gifts, by sending us messages, or by taking the time each week to clap for us.

"At KGH, one manifestation of this has been the thousands of gifts and messages we have received from individuals, families, groups, businesses and charities.

"Donations have ranged from the small like food and drink, knitted hearts, home-made personal protective equipment, right up to very large donations of thousands of items from big businesses."

Some of the big donations include 22,400 meals from local scheme Food4Heroes, 21,858 food packs from Salute the NHS, 32,000 cereals, drinks and protein bars from Weetabix in Burton Latimer, 23,000 items including hand sanitizers, hand creams and more from Avon in Northampton, Greggs gave 9,068 treats, Wilkinsons gave 13,650 Easter Eggs.

Locally, Scrubs Up for Northants donated 3,000 home-made scrubs after Weetabix donated money to buy materials. DS Smith Sheet Feeding from Burton Latimer gave 48 boxes of fruit and veg, Garley Catering from Kettering gave 100 afternoon teas to mark VE Day, and the Weetabix Youth League donated kitchen items and cotton bags.

KGH's chief people officer, Mark Smith, said: "“I want to say a big thank you to all of those individuals, companies and charitable organisations that have supported us over the last 16 weeks."

Leanne Hackshall added: "“It has been heart-warming to receive thousands of messages of appreciation for what we are doing through social media posts, lovely cards and letters, and amazing pictures of things like rainbows drawn by local children – and the children of our own staff.

"We want to thank everyone who has supported us – in whatever way they did – for what they have done. Their gifts and messages have been a very vivid expression of their appreciation for what we do – and in many ways that has been the greatest gift of all."

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