Community xmas effort for Barnwell Wards
CHRISTMAS presents rained down on the Barnwell Wards at Kettering General Hospital thanks to the kindness of the local community.
On Christmas Eve Michelle and James Barrow, from the local fundraising group Kettering McQueen, delivered a huge load of presents gifted by individuals and local companies to the wards gathered through the efforts of ward staff and members of the local community.
The gifts included four TVs, 10 radios, a fan, Christmas crackers and a wide variety of presents for patients including toiletries, socks, sweets and chocolate and Christmas food hampers for staff.
The idea for seasonal celebration came from a Sisters Development meeting held at KGH where Skylark Ward Sister Olivia Woodgate and Barnwell C Sister Rachel Almond looked at how best to tackle issues of boredom and frustration, especially for elderly dementia patients, who were recovering from fractures on the ward.
Olivia and Rachel joined forces with Skylark Ward Play Specialist Louise McKerral and a plan was developed to raise support for the ward in the run-up to Christmas using local Facebook pages.
Rachel said: “The response was phenomenal. We have received a huge number of gifts that will be very much appreciated by our patients and have been a great morale boost for staff. We want to thank everyone who has supported us so much for their amazing support.”
Olivia said: “It started as an idea and it just took off. Louise knew so many people who supported Skylark Ward and they all came to help.”
Louise said: “We wrote letters to local companies and were helped by so many individuals through Facebook that it was just fantastic.”
Kettering McQueen fundraiser Michelle Barrow said: “We wanted to support some of the less well known wards and we knew Louise well and did everything we could to help.”
Staff want to give a big thank you to all those companies and individuals who supported the gift giving including Asda, Corby, Wilco, Kettering, Morrison’s, Corby, Sainsbury, Burton Latimer, Convenience Express, Corby, Daisy Dots Photography, Julieta Greenhalf, Boden Close, Fernley Hopkins, Nikki Stanley, Tracey Hankins, Lucy Skelton & her mum Lorraine, Wendy Ketteringham, Lisa Roberts and Skylark Ward staff.