Northamptonshire Health Charity has recently been awarded funding by Barclays as part of their COVID-19 Community Aid Package.
The very generous grant is being used to meet the urgent needs of patients, staff and volunteers at Northampton General Hospital and across Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust, affected by COVID-19.
“We’re delighted that Barclays has awarded us funding which is helping in so many different ways to support the hospital and staff across the community and mental health hospitals, to deliver enhanced care and experiences for patients throughout Northamptonshire.” said Rob Powell, Community Fundraiser.
“So far, money from the grant has been allocated to a wide range of projects that are having a huge positive impact for so many people.” Receiving this £250,000 donation from Barclays has enabled the charity to fund some larger projects as well as numerous smaller initiatives.
Such as a refurbishment of the domestic and porter changing facilities at Northampton General Hospital.
Domestic and Porter staff are so essential to the safe and effective running of the hospital and during the pandemic it has become even more apparent just how integral they are.
Although the existing facilities were practical, the changes now being made will provide a welcoming and calm environment, improving staff morale and wellbeing as the stresses of the pandemic continue.
[caption id="attachment_4643" align="alignright" width="450"] Trolleys & activities for the NGH Volunteers Animation project to foster meaningful engagement with patients recovering following COVID-19.
The Barclays donation is also funding enhancements for the new Volunteers hub at Northampton General Hospital.[/caption] Another large project at the hospital is for the wonderful volunteers team who are an incredible support network for staff.
During these uncertain times they’ve risen to the new challenges presented by the pandemic.
From helping to deliver patient toiletries and running important errands for staff unable to leave wards; to coordinating the receipt of letters for loved ones and keeping them in contact with each other via video calls on iPads and tablets and so much more.
The team have launched a new service where they will be having meaningful engagement with patients who no longer have coronavirus but are still recovering in hospital and the charity has funded the wide-range of activity items they’ll be using.
These therapies delivered via the volunteers will aid recovery and patient wellbeing.
The volunteers did not have a base but they have now been provided with their own small building and money from the Barclays grant will enable the team to create an environment where all volunteers can feel part of the hospital team instead of being spread across the site.
[caption id="attachment_4649" align="alignright" width="450"] Funding from the Barclays grant has enabled the charity to support a number of gardening projects for mental health patients.[/caption] For staff and patients at Berrywood mental health hospital, Northamptonshire Health Charity is funding a sensory room on one of the wards.
The creation of this room will further the hospital’s development of these therapies enabling them to be offered to even more patients from the local community during their stay.
Not only this, but staff will also be able to benefit from the relaxing and calming space.
During the initial lockdown and beyond it has been crucial for staff to get people outside and keep them busy with activities to aid their recovery and wellbeing.
The pandemic has not made this easy but the charity is able to fund new projects for patients that are making this possible.
Staff on Brookview at Berrywood are designing a space specifically for the therapeutic needs of their dementia patients, which aims to encourage the use of all motor skills like walking, reaching and bending.
This green space will help reduce stress levels and promote calm and relaxation for patients.
The garden outside Hazelwood ward at Isebrook Hospital in Wellingborough, is being transformed to encourage patients outside enabling staff to offer them even more therapeutic activities.
It will also be a great new space available to staff during their break times.
[caption id="attachment_4646" align="alignleft" width="500"] New shed for Occupation Therapy activities for mental health patients at Welland Centre, St Mary's Hospital.[/caption] Over at the Welland Centre, St Mary’s Hospital in Kettering, a multi-purpose workspace is already providing a number of outdoor therapeutic activities for the acute mental health patients on their wards.
They can now develop this further by offering education on horticulture, planning and maintaining, in addition to understanding the health benefits of such activities.
Patients have recently grown their own vegetables and carried them through to cookery in a “ground to kitchen” project.
Gardening and outdoor activities have provided a lifeline to many patients who have felt increasingly isolated throughout the pandemic.
As some measures begin to ease there are still many restrictions in place so the development of these spaces and projects have made a massive difference to people at such a difficult and testing time.
Nigel Higgins, Barclays Chairman, said: “COVID-19 has created an unprecedented social and economic impact in the UK, with many experiencing greater hardship due to the crisis.
Incredible charities, such as Northamptonshire Health Charity, the independent charity supporting Northampton General Hospital and Northamptonshire Healthcare Foundation Trust have been playing a vital role in the UK’s response to the pandemic, ensuring urgent help reaches those most in need of support.
As a bank we have been doing all we can for our customers, clients and colleagues, and we hope that by partnering with this charity and many other charities across the UK, collectively we can ensure that as many people as possible in the communities in which we live and work are supported through this crisis.” Northamptonshire Health Charity are grateful to receive this local support from Barclays because it is already having a big impact on people in the local community.
There are so many projects and initiatives that have been funded and that are being developed that not all can be mentioned here but we are looking forward to continuing to share updates on all that is going on to make a difference.