Firm gives staff room to sit down
A ROOM to provide a much-needed space of calm and reflection for Stepping Hill Hospital and community NHS staff during the coronavirus public health emergency will be all the more comfortable due to a generous gift from a furniture store.
Macclesfield’s Arighi Bianchi offered their furniture free of charge within 24 hours of Stockport NHS Foundation Trust making an appeal to furnish their new staff sanctuary room.
Trust staff were invited to the store’s warehouse and were allowed to pick what they chose, before Arighi drove it over for delivery.
An array of comfortable leather armchairs, sofas and other attractive furnishings are now in place in the room which will be opening soon for all staff members.
The sanctuary room, based in the hospital’s education centre building, will be a place for them to reflect and gather their thoughts during the immense demands of their job.
Mandy Rogerstone from Arighi Bianchi said: “Staff at Stepping Hill Hospital are doing an outstanding job during this time of national crisis, and they truly deserve the new sanctuary room as a reward for their hard work. When the appeal for furniture went out we just wanted to provide for them what we could; its really an honour to help out.”
Helen Howard, deputy chief Nurse at Stockport NHS Foundation Trust said, “Staff wellbeing is a priority for us, and we know our staff already experience traumatic situations and difficult circumstances, but never before has it been so important to support them as they help the nation fight the COVID 19 pandemic.
“With the sanctuary room, we want to create a quiet space where they can gather their thoughts, support each other and have access to support services or information which may help them to continue in their amazing work. We would like to say a huge thank you to Arighi Bianchi for their generosity, which will be truly appreciated by all the staff who use this room in the future.”
Ever since the coronavirus emergency began the trust has received a huge number of generous donations, which are all gratefully received.
If anyone has any future further generations they should contact donations@stockport.nhs. uk or donate to the trust’s Justgiving page at https:// www.justgiving.com/ campaign/ stockportnhscovidappeal
Smaller furnishing donations for the sanctuary room are also still being accepted at the moment.
If you have donations specifically for this, then please e-mail ashley. kattell@stockport.nhs.uk