Thank You to Business Support for Our NHS Staff

THANKS to hundreds of generous supporters, more than 25,000 wellbeing packs have been given out to hardworking NHS staff across Manchester and Trafford.

Manchester Foundation Trust Charity has received more than £1.5million-worth of goods to distribute to staff since the Covid-19 pandemic began earlier this year.

The packages have been distributed to staff working across Manchester University NHS Foundation Trust’s hospitals and community services and were donated by kind corporate supporters including big-name international brands such as Ralph Lauren, The Hut Group, Manchester United, JD Sports, N Brown Group, Unilever and PZ Cussons.

To celebrate the success of the wellbeing package project, the Charity has produced a video to thank everyone who helped support NHS staff and show those supporters just how much went into receiving goods, making up wellbeing packages and distributing them to the Trust’s sites across Greater Manchester and Trafford.

In the video, lorry-loads of boxes can be seen at the Charity’s headquarters off Oxford Road before they are sorted and distributed to staff. The video also includes messages of thanks from NHS staff to the businesses and individuals who made donations of money and gifts-in-kind.

Group Chief Nurse, Professor Cheryl Lenney, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to everyone who has supported our NHS workers across the Trust over the last few months. The generous donations went a long way and have been very well received by our hardworking teams.

“We had a lot of positive comments from staff members who said how much it meant to them to receive a wellbeing package at the end of a busy shift. It provided our teams with a positive boost and was a lovely reminder to colleagues of how grateful people are of the vital work they do.”

Items in the wellbeing packages included toiletries, cold drinks, snacks, tea and coffee, non-perishable food items, such as energy bars and instant noodles, and clothing. There was also a special distribution of self-care products to celebrate Year of the Nurse, Easter Eggs and Eid gift boxes to celebrate those religious holidays and even flowers from the President of Kenya.

Clothing and computer tablets were also provided and were particularly welcomed by staff who were self-isolating from their families and staying in hotel rooms.

Over the course of lockdown, Manchester Foundation Trust Charity was able to distribute:

• 25,000 wellbeing packs to individual staff members
• 226 drinks packages for wards or departments
• 89,460 individual treats including flowers, loaves of bread and hand creams
• 3,540 gifts to nurses to celebrate Year of the Nurse
• 3,000 Iftar boxes for Ramadan

Sarah Naismith, Director of Manchester Foundation Trust Charity, said: “I am incredibly proud of our team and how we were able to turn our offices, and even the Starbucks next door, into a production line for wellbeing pack distribution.

“Like many charities and businesses during lockdown, we really had to adapt and completely rethink how we were going to operate during this ever-changing and difficult times.

“Although we’re now able to celebrate the success of the wellbeing package project now that it has come to a close, the hard work is far from over.

“Many of our normal fundraising events that allow us to continue funding excellence in treatment, research and care at our hospitals, have now been cancelled or postponed. Our next focus is finding new ways to fundraise while still giving personal support to our families that we won’t yet be meeting with in person at organised events.”

With this in mind, earlier this month the Charity launched its #72for72NHS campaign, to celebrate the NHS 72nd birthday. Throughout July and August, the Charity is encouraging fundraisers to do an activity and raise some money around the theme of the number 72 or raising £72.

Participants have set their own challenges which include: 72 10Ks in July by running group Daddies Escape, two families selling bobble hats and badges, and food eating challenges such as a marshmallow-eating contest and a hotdog-eating challenge. Hollyoaks actor and Royal Manchester Children’s Hospital Charity patron Ashley Taylor Dawson has also taken on a 50km challenge with his friend Jay. For more details about Manchester Foundation Trust Charity visit www.mftcharity.org.uk or follow Manchester Foundation Trust Charity on social media. The website also includes a full list of businesses who supported the wellbeing project.