Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust (CNTW) reflects on the contributions Captain Sir Tom Moore has made to the organisation on what would have been his 101st birthday.
CNTW has benefitted from a staggering £136,100 from NHS Charities Together as part of its national Covid-19 appeal.
The appeal has seen amazing public support, raising over £150 million since its launch in March 2020. It received a sizeable donation thanks to Captain Sir Tom Moore’s efforts when he captured the nation’s hearts by walking laps of his garden in the lead-up to his 100th birthday.
As he would have turned 101 on 30th April, CNTW looks back on the difference the donations both he and others have made to patients and service users within the Trust.
NHS Charities Together has provided vital help for the Trust’s charity, The SHINE Fund, which uses donations to provide ‘little extras’ that make a big difference to a person’s recovery.
Ailsa Miller, Patients Finance and Cashiers Manager who oversees The SHINE Fund, said: “We’re so grateful for all the donations we have received during the pandemic. We have been overwhelmed by people’s generosity, which has made a huge difference in helping support our service users through what has been an extremely difficult time.
“We’d like to thank each and every one who has contributed and continued to care for the NHS and those we look after.”
The money has been used to provide a variety of different things including TVs, DVD players and game consoles to entertain patients during lockdown when restrictions didn’t allow them to leave the wards.
The funds have also provided gym equipment for the Trust’s exercise therapy teams and staff wellbeing workshops.
The money has helped keep the Trust’s ‘wobble rooms’, areas where staff could take breaks to cope with the challenges of working through Covid-19, well-stocked with refreshments and other items to help people relax. It also helped purchase a huge 19,000 items to be sent out as part of ‘wellbeing packs’ that were distributed to inpatients and community patients across the Trust.
Many wards and community settings have been able to buy things that will help service users in their care. For example, Carleton Clinic in Carlisle has benefitted from a range of new things including gardening resources, such as hanging baskets and pop-up greenhouses, jigsaws, memory books and exercise bikes.
Fellside Ward at the Campus of Ageing and Vitality have enjoyed board games and a record player, while the children and young people on Ferndene have received money for iPods, Kindles and a BBQ.
Money was also used to grant £50k to Recovery Colleges across the Trust footprint. Recovery Colleges offer education and support for people to meet and build skills. They are peer-led, aiming to equip people who have already suffered from distress with the knowledge to help others.