Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Top retailers do their bit to help hospital workers
Beauty queen rallies community in action
Miss Gravesham has been rallying the communities of Gravesend and Dartford to help support hospital doctors and nurses. Jessica Tuffield, a 24-year-old sepsis survivor, took to Facebook in the hopes of donating food, drinks and treats for staff rooms at Darent Valley Hospital.
She said: “Darent Valley has a total of 1,900 staff and over the next coming weeks our doctors and nurses are going to be working even harder than they currently do and are on the frontline.
“Doctors and nurses are going to be working double or even triple shifts if Italy is anything to go by and they will be looking after us, the people of our community.
“I am going to be donating milk to the hospital and I was wondering if we could all donate something. A pack of biscuits, box of chocolates, a box of tea or coffee.
“Our NHS staff may only get a moment to themselves and I personally thought it could be a good idea to rally up some goods for them to have in their staff rooms.”
All of the donations packaging will and has been disinfected for safety precautions.
So far John Lewis and Waitrose at Bluewater have donated milk, Barnhurst Sainsbury’s has donated sandwiches and Jessica herself has collected 15 bags of donations.
Shower gels, hand creams and beauty face masks have been donated by the Body Shop at Bluewater and bunches of flowers were given from Waitrose & Partners for all the mums working on Mother’s Day.
New Look in Tonbridge Wells donated sweets and Easter Eggs were given by Haberdashers Aske’s School.
Jessica said: “We have been overwhelmed by the generosity and support from our community.
“Lions Club in Gravesend donated lots of snacks and Bakers of Bexley gave us cupcakes. “There have also been hot roast dinners from the Kings Arms in Bexley who have kindly offered to cook more for us if we ever need them.”
Marks & Spencer, Bluewater also donated flowers and the centre’s WH Smith’s gave books. Shower gel and soft furnishing have also been donated by House of Fraser and John Lewis. Jessica added: “I have recently dropped all donations of to Darent Valley and the community did a fantastic job will rounding donations up in less than 24 hours.
“I am now personally in isolation due to a health condition and living outside of the Gravesham area now.
“I am now using my platform to highlight the good deeds which the Gravesham and Dartford community are doing. “I am helping to promote them by sharing through my Miss Gravesham platform. “Assisting people when they are unsure where food banks are.
“The community has really come together in this time of crisis and I am extremely proud of them.”
To find out more about Jessica’s involvement in donations to Darent Valley Hospital visit her Facebook page.