What does a Charity do when a pandemic strikes and suddenly fundraising stops. I am on the committee of The Friends of the Princess Royal University Hospital in Farnborough Kent, and we help raise funds to buy things for the hospital that assists patients primarily and staff. We had to start thinking how to fundraise in ways which there was no people contact, and no regular stall in the hospital.
National & Local organisations offered help and donations, and we set up fundraisers on zoom. We asked for a £5.00 donation for people to donate either a quilted square or a photo or a story or poem of their responses to the pandemic.
The photos and quilted wall hanging have now been framed. The hospital has now chosen where they will hang the photos and the wall hanging and we are awaiting the handing over ceremony. The poems and stories had a selection read at this years new literary event in Orpington.
The pandemic has definitely bought the best out of our local area, we all pulled together and provided meals for staff on the frontline in the first wave of the pandemic, and for December 2020, the hospital requested snack meals like porridge pots cereal bars and fresh fruit which we were happy to do. One of our helpers an Avon representative raised funds with local Mothers Union and Trefoil and raised nearly 1000 pounds which we spent on face creams hand creams lip balms for staff , and toiletries for staff and patients. The friends also put 22 activity trolleys into wards, which contain everything from colouring books and pens to draughts, to help patients while still restricted to having visitors.
This is just a few of the things we have been a part of and if you are curious to find out what else we have done and what is next then please look at The Friends of the PRUH website or look us up on Facebook.
Thank you again to Paul and Jackie Cambridge for helping us by covering the costs of the framing..
Sue Simpson
Trustee of the Friends of the PRUH
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