Kind-hearted Peterborough hospital staff donate presents as a thank you for Covid support

Talking to members of the North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust (NWAFT), at their online board meeting this week, Caroline Walker, CEO said: “As part of our Trust Christmas celebrations this year, staff have been keen to support the communities that showed them so much gratitude during the first few months of the Covid-19 pandemic.

“Staff will be contributing to a virtual version of the ‘Giving Tree’ at both PCH and Hinchingbrooke Hospitals to support vulnerable children in our communities by having some presents to open on Christmas Day.

“In addition, teams across NWAFT are supporting our Christmas Hamper initiative which will see the gathering of food and toiletry items to be donated to food banks in Peterborough, Huntingdon and Stamford.”

The ‘Giving Tree’ is a 1964, children’s story book following the lives of an apple tree and a boy who develop a life-long relationship with one another, the boy growing to man always taking gifts of help and knowledge from the ever-giving tree.

Staff at North West Anglia NHS Foundation Trust, which runs Peterborough City, Hinchingbrooke and Stamford and Rutland Hospitals, are giving back to the community this Christmas by launching a ‘Virtual Giving Tree’ to help vulnerable families.

Staff have championed the idea of giving back to their local communities after receiving a huge amount of support from the public during the initial lockdown in the Spring.

Natalie Styles-Hudson, Lead Nurse for Safeguarding People, said: “We have participated in the Giving Tree for a number of years now, but unfortunately due to Covid-19, we are unable to accept actual gifts to be dropped off at our hospitals this year.

“However, we are keen to make sure that we do everything we can to support local children in need again, especially as local families and children are more in need than ever due to the pressures of the pandemic.

“This year we have created an Amazon Wish List, where our staff, patients and the public can all order gifts for those children who will receive very little for Christmas.

“These gifts will then be delivered directly to specific charities who then allocate them to their families.”

Last year, the Trust donated over 800 presents to families in the local area around Huntingdon and Peterborough, who were overwhelmed by the generosity.

Natalie added: “We heard some amazing stories from families who were really struggling to make ends meet, let alone buy any Christmas presents.

“This year, we know some families have been hit particularly hard, meaning there are many children who will not receive anything, other than kind donations through the Giving Tree.

“If you are able to help us by buying an extra gift for a child this year, it would mean so much to those families. Examples of gifts are available via our Amazon Wish List, which need to remain unwrapped.”