A SOLIHULL group of volunteers have come to the rescue of ICU staff driven to breaking point by Covid who appealed for help with basic wellbeing items.
The Hampers for Heroes team sprung into action when they received a request from a doctor asking for coffee and toiletries to help them through the growing pressures of the pandemic.
Staff revealed they had suffered mental health issues and burnout and often drove home in tears.
Hampers for Heroes immediately launched an appeal and in just over a week raised more than £5,000 and collected mountains of donations, which are being packaged up and delivered to staff.
Victoria Hanson, founder of the community interest company, said she had been astounded by the response.
“We had to help when we heard about this and we’ve been overwhelmed by the support,” she said.
Victoria said she wanted to further help staff by offering counselling, meditation and therapy services and the extra funding meant that would soon be in place.
The doctor’s appeal stated: “As I’m sure you are aware, we are now swamped with Covid patients and our staff are really struggling.
“I’m part of the ICU wellbeing team who are trying to do little things like make sure there are enough break rooms for all the staff, stock coffee rooms with nice things to eat and drink and provide toiletries in the changing rooms.
“We had quite a lot of donations from big companies in the first wave but almost one year in these have dwindled off.”
Victoria said a delivery had already been made to the wellbeing team, including 15 hairdryers and hundreds of toiletry items for their washrooms. Another delivery has also been made to the Covid Assessment Unit at another local hospital.
Hampers for Heroes was set up in the first lockdown and Victoria was joined by a team of volunteers who have now delivered thousands of hampers and reached more than 30,000 key workers, including teachers and carers as well as NHS staff.
To donate visit hampersforheroes.net/donate/
