A SOLIHULL restaurateur who cooked up curries for medical staff is fundraising to give support to local hospitals.
Divine Restaurant in Hasluck’s Green Road is open for takeaways, and kindhearted Shirley patrons are contributing to a £5000 fundraiser to provide surgery apparel for staff at Solihull Hospital.
The donations also mean patients can receive tablets and radios as they endure isolation from their families.
The efforts have won the backing of the borough’s MP Julian Knight, who said: “Crises like this tend to bring out the best in us, and Divine’s outstanding fundraising effort is no exception. It’s really great to see local businesses showing their social conscience and stepping up to support our NHS, especially when coronavirus has put new pressures on so many. Reed and the team at Divine should be very proud, and I’m looking forward to paying a visit when the rules allow.”
As reported in the Solihull Observer, manager Reed kept on his staff to cook hundreds of meals delivered to Solihull hospital.
He now hopes to raise £5000 for the charities in the University Hospital Birmingham NHS Trust.
Charlotte Schofield, Director of Fundraising at Solihull Hospital Charity, said: “We have used the generous donations that we have received to provide our staff members with food, drink and toiletries to help them to keep going during their shifts and we have now set up staff welfare hubs full of provisions so that our staff members can access the good that they need.
“With further help we will be able to do even more for our staff members, such as providing further welfare support, comfortable furniture for them to relax on and further supplies of toiletries, food and drink. The welfare of our staff is always a key priority, and now it is more important than ever. “Sadly the current situation means that our patients cannot receive visitors, which makes their stay in hospital harder. We’re funding tablets so that our patients can speak to their loved ones via video chat, helping to keep their spirits up. We’re also funding radios to keep our patients entertained.
“So far we have been able to fund hundreds of tablets for our patients to use, and with support we will be able to provide even more tablets and radios so that our patients can stay connected with their families, and the outside world, whilst they are in hospital.”
To support Reed’s fundraiser, visit www.gofundme.com/f/ppe-for-the-nhs-save-lives-whilst-protected
