I am a serving soldier in the British Army and Part time Football coach with roles at Ignite Academy and Oxford United in the Community.  With football currently on hold we, as a group of coaches, have been coming up with different ideas to help people stay active during the lockdown to keep fit and healthy.  

Why am I raising money?

Every day I see my next door neighbour, Paula Bothwell, who is a nurse, leaving for work early in the morning and returning late on an evening often working in COVID hubs in Oxford.  She, like thousands of others, leave home to join the “front line” and put herself and loved ones at risk on a daily basis to help save lives.  With Paula and Capt Tom Moore as an inspiration, I have chosen to raise money for NHS Charities Together in order to help all NHS staff, volunteers and patients get all the help they can get during this pressing time.

NHS Charities Together

There are more than 230 NHS charities across the UK and most of them focus on helping our hospitals do more. Collectively these charities give £1 million every day to the NHS so that people can stay well for longer and get better faster. In recent years NHS charities have funded major capital projects, pioneering research and medical equipment at our hospitals, helping patients access the best possible care when they need it most.

They also play a key role in mobilising volunteers to support NHS staff, brightening wards and waiting areas with colourful and engaging art and building an important link between our hospitals and our communities. Other NHS charities support mental health trusts, community health trusts and ambulance trusts.

Donations since the Coronavirus pandemic started have been used to help set up wellbeing spaces in hospitals. These include sleep pods, reclining chairs and so-called "wobble rooms" - areas where staff have a safe space to release emotions after a traumatic experience, such as losing a patient.

Wellbeing packs including everyday items such as porridge, tea or hand cream have also been given to staff, which one charity member said was "like a hug in a box".

The money has also helped pay for electronic tablets that allow patients who are in isolation in hospital to have contact with their friends and family.

In the long term, the funds will be used in planning to allow people to leave hospital quicker and safely, and also provide mental health support for staff and volunteers involved in dealing with the pandemic.

Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

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