As week 10 of the Stevenage FC and Stevenage FC Foundation Coronavirus Community Careline winds down, one major part of the service has come to a conclusion...
This morning the final batch of sandwiches for Lister Hospital nurses, doctors and staff was delivered, after it was agreed by both parties that resources should now be fully directed towards local residents in need.
In total, nearly 5000 sandwiches have been provided to NHS staff since the Careline opened, with the occasion marked on Friday in the form of a presentation at the Hospital, which CEO Alex Tunbridge, Foundation CEO Joe Goude and Head Chef Tony Start all attended, in addition to Medical Director Dr Michael Chilvers, Chief Operating Officer Julie Smith and Chief Executive Nick Carver.
Nick Carver, Chief Executive of East and North Hertfordshire NHS Trust, said, “I would like to say a huge thank you to Stevenage FC for their continued support of colleagues at the trust.
“We have been overwhelmed by the kindness of the football club and the wider community. The generosity and thoughtfulness shown to our staff cannot be understated – and means so much to us all.”
As well as the 5000 sandwiches that have been sent to the Hospital, another 4000 have been produced and delivered to Stevenage residents over the past 10 weeks, with this service continuing into June. If you or somebody you know could do with a free daily meal and chat, please email communitykitchen@stevenagefc.com or call us between 10am-4pm from Monday-Friday on 01438 222222.
Another major part of the Careline has been the Prescription Pick-Up and Delivery Service and in total, over 250 prescriptions have administrated for self-isolating Stevenage residents, whilst volunteers have helped collect and distribute 90 Food Bank donations.
The Friendly Chat service has been a hugely valuable resource to many older, more vulnerable residents, with over 40 hours worth of talking and advising on the phone logged, including weekly check-ups with many regular users.
CEO Alex Tunbridge said, "The Club is very proud of its staff, players and volunteers who have given up their time to volunteer for the Careline over the past 10 weeks. Following lengthy discussions with the Lister Hospital we all believe that the Club's efforts should now be focused fully on the over 70's within the community, with workers at the hospital now receiving a wide selection of support services.
"As we move into June we will be continuing all of our Careline services within the local community and hope to continue to make a significant impact on the lives of those residents we are supporting."
Phone lines for the Community Careline are now closed for the weekend but will re-open on Monday 1st June from 10am.
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