Staff at Walsall Manor Hospital and across its community services are launching a Christmas Food Drive next week – as a legacy to much-loved junior doctor Steph Clarke who died earlier this year.

Collection points have been set up within the hospital and at various centres to gather food and other items to help needy families who visit Walsall North Foodbank.

The 28-year-old, who died from a rare form of cancer in March, had teamed up with Walsall Healthcare’s Well Wishers charity to support her local foodbank after seeing many patients who were suffering hardship. Colleagues who worked with her in the Acute Medical Unit, Surgical Assessment Unit and hospital palliative care team remember her as  “vibrant and caring with an exceptional desire to do as much as possible for her patients.”

The Dr Steph Clarke Christmas Food Drive is appealing for the following items:

Tinned fish

Cereals

Long life fruit juice

Biscuits and snacks

Tinned fruit

Tinned tomatoes

Long life milk

Dog and cat food

Washing up liquid

Washing powder

Toilet rolls

General toiletries

The appeal is running between Monday 2 and Tuesday 17 December and a special Christmas fundraising event with a cake sale, Indian food and a raffle will take place on Wednesday 18 December which will see Well Wishers working in partnership with One Hope Foundation the Teenage Cancer Trust and Walsall North Food Bank.

Appeal organisers Sebastian Smith-Cox and Robyn Smith said: “We know from speaking to colleagues across the trust that Steph was a real asset to our organisation and despite her own health problems she never stopped caring about or thinking of others and how she could make a difference.

“We like to think that she’ll be with us in spirit as we launch the food drive in her memory and are proud to think that her compassion and kindness is still inspiring others.”

Items can be left at the main atrium in the Manor Hospital and at Blakenall Village Centre, Hollybank House, Walsall Palliative Care Centre, Harden Health Centre, Pelsall Village Centre and St John’s Wood Primary School and Walsall Town Hall. As part of the 18 December fundraiser – which is being run during Well Wishers’ Make Someone Smile Week – volunteers will also be wrapping gifts to distribute to patients in hospital.

The food donations will be taken to Walsall North Foodbank on Friday 20 December.