Twelve months on - how the community has supported Team NUH during the pandemic
A message from Barbara Cathcart, Chief Executive of Nottingham Hospitals Charity:
Twelve months ago, our world changed almost overnight. As we entered our first lockdown, I sent out a message to the people of Nottingham, asking for their urgent support. We knew the staff at our hospitals were having a difficult time – not just due to the volume of patients and the long hours, but many of you were struggling to get food to feed yourselves and your families, finding empty supermarket shelves when you finished work after an exhausting day.
We quickly launched our Help your Hospitals campaign – an emergency appeal to provide immediate aid to staff at Nottingham Hospitals, as well as support your emotional wellbeing needs in the longer term, as we knew this pandemic would take its toll on your mental health.
As a charity, we were absolutely astounded by the overwhelming response from the people of Nottingham, who pulled together at a time of stress and worry for so many. We saw local businesses putting together food packages for our staff, and families walking, cycling and camping out in their gardens to raise money in support of their local NHS.
Thanks to the support of the local community, we raised over £300,000 – far beyond our original target. Here are some of the things we have been able to provide for Team NUH over the past year:
- Emergency food packages
- Sleep pods for staff to get some rest before or after shifts
- Wellbeing centres where you could take a break and get refreshments, as well as peer support from trained volunteers
- Refurbished outdoor areas to provide a quiet space away from the busy hospital environment
- Improved indoor staff areas, with comfortable seating and facilities to store and heat food during breaks from busy shifts.
I’d like to take this opportunity to thank each and every member of Team NUH who has worked tirelessly to care for the people of Nottingham during this most challenging of years. As the hospital enters a phase of restoration and recovery, I’d like to assure people that we will continue to be here to support all NUH staff.