During the current pandemic, the Cardiff & Vale Health Charity team has been working tirelessly to ensure that staff on the frontline are receiving food, drinks, snacks and essentials to help with their wellbeing and welfare.
The Health Charity responded quickly to this crisis by setting up a Justgiving campaign to encourage financial donations solely to provide little extras for staff on the frontline of COVID-19. The team set out ways, such as setting up donation points in supermarkets, where the public could donate food, drinks, snacks and essentials while maintaining safe social distancing, following Public Health Wales guidance around COVID-19.
The Health Board set up Staff Havens at University Hospital of Wales and University Hospital Llandough, which are areas that staff can take some time out from their wards and departments, to rest and recuperate.
The Staff Havens also act as Hubs so that food and donations can be dropped off at these locations and their onward distribution coordinated by Health Charity staff and delivered around wards and departments by UHB staff and Health Charity volunteers.
At University Hospital of Wales, around 800 meals a day are being provided by a consortium of food establishments through funding from #FeedTheHeath, led by Kasim Ali from Waterloo Tea.
At University Hospital Llandough, around 250 meals a day are also being provided by #FeedTheHeath and The Sausage Revolution
#FeedTheHeath also supply 100 meals daily for staff based at the Dragon’s Heart Hospital
Food is also available for staff at Rookwood Hospital, Barry Hospital and St. David’s Hospital which is being provided by The Sausage Revolution and funded by #FeedNHS.
Manufacturers, supermarkets, shops, pubs, clubs, restaurants, organisations and individuals have been making regular deliveries to the Staff Havens to ensure that NHS staff are well catered for.
The Health Charity has also received help with collecting and delivering supplies from supermarkets and businesses by the Wales Probation Service.
Simone Joslyn, Head of Arts and Health Charity at Cardiff and Vale University Health Board said: “We have been completely overwhelmed by people’s kindness in donating food and essentials for our staff. It has been great to work alongside #FeedTheHeath and The Sausage Revolution to distribute meals to staff on a daily basis – which have been greatly appreciated.
“We couldn’t have done this without the help of our Health Charity volunteers and Wales Probation Service. There are too many people to mention so I’d like to thank everyone who has been involved in our Staff Havens, they’ve given their help and support during a time when it is needed the most.” If you’d like to help #SpreadTheLove to our NHS staff during COVID-19, please make a donation here: https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/spreadthelove