Whether it’s organising donations from Walsall Healthcare’s Well Wishers charity, running deliveries of food and snacks for hard pressed colleagues, co-ordinating Response Volunteers to drop off PPE or setting up video calls between patients and families – our colleagues in the Purple Hub have shown teamwork at its best.

So it was the end of an impressive era for everyone who has worked there for the last five years as they closed the door for the last time last month to enable the Purple Hub office space to be converted into a Pharmacy.

The Purple Hub team includes Fundraising, Patient Experience and Volunteering and colleagues have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic – adapting to new or additional roles, problem solving and supporting patients, colleagues and members of the public.  But the team’s contribution has also been invaluable prior to the pandemic as over the years colleagues have dealt with all sorts of requests, enquiries, problems and unexpected emergencies.

Georgie Westley, Fundraising Manager, said: “We have prided ourselves on living and breathing the trust values so everyone who has come through the door has been greeted with a smile and a warm welcome,  nothing has been too much trouble.

“We’ve dealt with requests for wheelchairs, emptied car boots full of donations for the charity to sell, made cups of tea for distressed patients and families who have received bad news, put together clothing for patients to be able to leave hospital, supported last minute requests for items for the wards for events such as weddings and have acted as a kind of information centre. We have also not batted an eyelid upon being visited by an Elvis impersonator and merrily joined in with one visitor’s plea to sing to her to cheer her up! It’s fair to say nothing has fazed us.

“And we are really proud of the support that we’ve co-ordinated in the pandemic ensuring that clinical colleagues have received sandwiches, hot meals, snacks, and drinks throughout.”

Louise Mabley, Head of Patient Experience, Volunteering and Self Care Management added: “Although the teams are now in different locations they will continue to work together to support the trust in whatever way they can.

“The last five years have been truly amazing; collectively we have been able to make an impact in so many ways, to the patients and members of public who come into the organisation.  We have done this by working closely with colleagues and of course our wonderful volunteers without whom we would not have been able to achieve as much as we have done.  It’s not the end, it’s just the beginning of working differently and forging new relationships!”

Fundraising has now moved  into the main atrium to the right of Taste Café into the former ambulance bay. This will become the Well Wishers Fundraising Hub as the team excitedly waits for it be fitted out as a shop with an area for businesses that support the charity. Staff are welcome to pop in to discuss fundraising, events and how Well Wishers can benefit your area of work.  The hub is spacious enough to observe social distancing.

And to the right of Taste Café, next door to blood tests on 002 is where Patient Experience is now situated.