Why we love this wonderful campaign – and urge YOU to join
From some of our best-loved stars... SIMPLY GO ONLINE TO hospitalhelpforce.com TO JOIN TODAY
AS momentum grew for thousands of volunteers to lend our hospitals a helping hand, more famous faces backed the Daily Mail’s campaign. Joining the likes of Sir Tom Jones, Joanna Lumley and Sir Cliff Richard are: JOANNA TROLLOPE: ‘Most people really want to help others, but have no idea how to go about it. Well, here’s the answer – why not join the tens of thousands of volunteers on which the NHS depends to support its patients, thus freeing the staff to focus on highly skilled treatment and care? There are 300 different volunteer roles that need filling – so one of them should suit you, don’t you think?’ DAVINA MCCALL: ‘I owe so much to the fantastic healthcare staff who have helped me and my family over the years. Our NHS employees work so hard to look after those of us who are unwell and in need of their help. I think the Daily Mail campaign with Help force is a brilliant idea which could make a huge amount of difference.’ BRYAN FERRY: ‘I will always be grateful for the outstanding efforts the NHS and the emergency services showed in my son’s care after his terrible car accident. Help force’s campaign will be a great comfort to patients and an invaluable support to the hard-working NHS staff.’
HISTORIAN DAN SNOW: ‘Volunteering is good for the NHS, good for our fellow citizens and, just as importantly, good for you. My kids love doing a present run to the children in Southampton Hospital at Christmas. It’s the highlight of the festive season and obviously it’s a great comfort to the kids who are in hospital. My dad [Peter Snow] collapsed with meningitis a few years back. The NHS team revived him, stabilised him and returned him to his old self. The nurses went above and beyond every day. The doctors were world class. Heroes.’ BRITISH TENNIS STAR JOHANNA KONTA: ‘I am very happy to endorse the Daily Mail/Helpforce project for the NHS, which looks after people when most in need. It is important for those of us lucky enough to enjoy good health not to forget the kind of work done in our hospitals and I hope that people will feel able to get behind this excellent idea.’
BRYAN ADAMS: ‘When I came off my motorcycle and broke my hand in Brixton back in 2002, I was given a cast at the local hospital and couldn’t have had better treatment. The NHS is similar to the social medicine system in Canada, where everyone is given the option to have free treatment. I wish it was the same everywhere. The call for volunteers for the NHS by Help force and the Daily Mail is brilliant and anything to help people in need by people generously giving their time gets my support.’
MAURICE SAATCHI: ‘The NHS doesn’t need money printed on bus sides. It needs feet on the ground. This inspired campaign will do that.’
SIR CLIVE WOODWARD: ‘What a fantastic initiative from Help force and well done to the Daily Mail for supporting this. I would urge anybody who has an afternoon or even a day free to consider this. It’s all about teamwork and wanting to help make a difference. No matter what your politics, I think we can all acknowledge that the NHS is faced with an almost impossible task caring for our growing population – yet there are so many people out there who have a little time on their hands who would happily lend a hand doing some of the menial and support tasks. That might just free up a little more time for the professionals. They are doing great things under difficult circumstances and by supporting Help force we could make it just a little bit easier for them.’
KATE GARRAWAY: ‘The NHS is something we are all proud of and grateful for and the Daily Mail’s campaign to turn our national love for the NHS into practical support is a great one. I have so many personal experiences of how the NHS has been brilliant for me, from trips to A&E with the kids for various bumps and sprains, to caring for my uncle in his final days with pancreatic cancer, to recently when they treated me so brilliantly for suspected meningitis. Even though at the time I was feeling very unwell, the staff were so caring and professional. I’m delighted to support this campaign and I look forward to getting stuck in with the rest of the volunteer team.’