Staff from Walsall Healthcare’s community and hospital services were full of smiles after receiving another boost from Hampers for Heroes.

Fundraising Manager Georgie Westley has been in regular contact with the not for profit, Community Interest Company’s founder Victoria Hanson who delivered a donation to Critical Care staff last month. This time round staff had been able to nominate worthy recipients themselves and as a result the School Nursing Team, Advanced Clinical Practitioners and the Critical Care Rehabilitation received treats and health and wellbeing items – much to their delight.

The hampers are designed to look after the health and wellbeing of NHS staff still feeling the pressures of working in the pandemic.

And here’s why these three teams were nominated.

School Nursing Team – nominated by Georgie Westley:

“School nurses, based at Harden Health Centre, have worked with our Well Wishers charity to run a shoe box appeal offering lunches for young people in need. Many of these young people are carers for their relatives. I know that for some time,  possibly years, the school nurses have supported these families from their own pockets including buying Christmas Presents. They are selfless an d deserve a treat themselves.”

Advanced Clinical Practitioners CPS – nominated by Jacqui Daly:

“This team is small and full of dedicated people who are our nurses’ first people to call on when their patient is seriously ill.  They work tirelessly, mainly on nights on their own, and always attend; never letting the patients and nurses down.  They are extremely highly qualified and have studied and worked at the same time.  They are always in the background and not in the spotlight so I wanted them to be recognised”

Critical Care Rehabilitation Team – nominated by Emma Neville:

“I have nominated the team because they have worked tirelessly throughout the p andemic supporting ward nurses with  extremely unwell patients in an attempt to reduce the admissions to an already overstretched ICU.  Working alongside the ACPs and medics when patients are deteriorating they have gone above and beyond the call of duty by working additional and often longer hours than expected.”

Sallyann Sutton, Professional Lead for School Nursing, said: “It’s lovely to be nominated and this donation really was unexpected and appreciated. School Nursing has supported children and young people and their families and carers throughout this difficult time and will continue to do so. We absolutely love what we do and it’s so rewarding to know that we’re making a difference.”

Well done to you all – and a special thank you to Ken from Hampers for Heroes for making the delivery!