Wellbeing facility funded by charity
£130,000 CENTRE FOR NHS STAFF IN NEED
STAFF fighting on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic will be boosted by a new health and wellbeing facility at Castle Hill Hospital thanks to a huge number of donations.
Money donated by members of the public, as well as businesses and charities, during the pandemic means a designated area for the hard-working staff to relax and unwind can be created.
The £130,000 facility has been part-funded by the charity WISHH (Working Independently to Support Hull’s Hospitals), which welcomed donations from Mail readers.
Staff at both Castle Hill and Hull Royal Infirmary showed tremendous dedication and courage when treating seriously ill patients during the low points of the pandemic and are expected to be called upon again as case numbers begin to rise once more.
The aim is for Hull Royal to also have a facility built, following on from the first phase at the Cottingham site.
Sue Lockwood, chair of the WISHH Charity, said: “Since WISHH launched the fundraising campaign at the start of the pandemic, we have worked closely with Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital to identify how we could help support staff during and beyond the Covid19 crisis.
“We rely heavily on them for our healthcare and never more so than in recent months.
“This new facility will give the staff much needed space and opportunity for rest and relaxation, and provide ways to address their own wellbeing.
“This is something the staff asked us to support and we are delighted to do so. Our aim is to go on to create a facility in both hospitals.
“The Castle Hill project would not have been possible without the generosity of our local communities, and that put us in the position to be able to bid for an additional £50,000 of national funds through NHS Charities Together.
“We are immensely grateful to NHS Charities Together for the grant and to our local supporters helping us to make a difference to the outstanding people who provide our care.”
The money collected in the community was boosted by an additional grant of £50,000 from NHS Charities Together.
The health and wellbeing facility will be created at Castle Hill Hospital and will be made available to staff and volunteers both during and outside working hours.
The physical and emotional strain of working through the Covid-19 pandemic reinforced the need for such a facility, which will offer dedicated areas for staff try to take their mind off work.
It will contain space for activities such as pilates or yoga, which aid staff wellbeing, but which can often be difficult to accommodate within the hospitals at the present time.