Oldham hospital has a festive look in thank you to NHS staff

An NHS charity has teamed up with a window artist to create colourful festive scenes at the entrance to four Greater Manchester hospitals - including The Royal Oldham Hospital - as a thank you to all NHS staff and patients.

Salford-based artist Emma Evans was commissioned to create the stunning visuals by NorthCare Charity, which launched last month to bring together fundraising across the Northern Care Alliance NHS Group (NCA) in Bury, Oldham, Rochdale and Salford. The NCA brings together the Salford Royal and Pennine Acute trusts.

The charity wanted to brighten up the main entrances at Salford Royal, The Royal Oldham Hospital, Fairfield General Hospital in Bury, and Rochdale Infirmary after learning staff were limited to what decorations they could put up this year due to infection control measures in place because of the coronavirus pandemic.

The window art includes snowflakes, colourful wreaths, hearts and gift-wrapped presents painted using all the colours of the rainbow as a nod to the rainbows displayed throughout 2020 in appreciation to the NHS.

Large outdoor Christmas trees and lights are going up across the different sites too this week to brighten up the areas visited by patients and families over the festive season.

NorthCare Charity will also give every patient a special gift on Christmas Day and provide hampers and treats for NHS staff working over the festive period. Through its Care this Christmas fundraiser, members of the public can donate money instead of bringing in physical gifts, which is prohibited because of increased infection control measures and visiting restrictions posed by Covid-19.

Emma Evans

The charity will make sure all gifts are suitable to patients’ age, conditions and needs, and celebrate local diverse communities. People can leave a personal message when they donate via www.justgiving.com/campaign/CarethisChristmas, which will be added to the gifts.

Earlier this year, Mrs Evans, 40, raised £680 for the charity after asking for donations from Monton businesses when she created free artwork on windows along Monton High Street.

Stephen Owen, fundraising manager for NorthCare Charity, said: “We’re delighted to have worked with Emma to create these stunning visuals, which we hope will bring a little festive cheer to those working and visiting our hospitals this December. We know this year has been tough for everyone and there are added restrictions in place, but we want to make this time of year as special as possible for our patients and staff working across our communities.”

Emma, of Emma Evans Studio, in Salford, said: “When the opportunity came up to illustrate on the windows of the four local hospitals, I jumped at the chance. If I can create something that lifts people’s spirits, even just a little bit, it's very rewarding. I just hope it lightens the day for those who see it and offers a positive distraction to anything they are facing.

“I think now, more than ever, we need art in our lives. Art has a unique way of meaning different things to different people and people can draw their own subjective viewpoints on it depending on that experience, whether that comes in the form of a song, a painting or in this case an illustrated window.”

Main image:

The Christmas artwork at The Royal Oldham Hospital.