A special thank you for the local community

Tameside and Glossop Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust have identified Saturday 4 and Sunday 5 July (the NHS's 72nd birthday) as the weekend where they will say thank-you to the local communities for all their help and support since the coronavirus pandemic hit.

Local businesses, charities, places of worship and individuals wasted no time in doing everything they could to help their local NHS manage an unprecedented situation by offering everything from hot meals, donations of comfort packs for patients, bottles of drinking water, Easter eggs, treats for staff and a whole range of other gifts and donations to help keep the NHS going and staff morale high. 

The response by locals was truly awe-inspiring. From some of the biggest brands in the world to local fundraisers and members of the community who “just wanted to help” - the offers of assistance and a real sense of community just kept flowing.

Chief Executive, Karen James said: “Our local communities, individuals and businesses, both large and small have all made a huge contribution to keeping us going during this genuinely unprecedented period. 

“It’s at times like these where people come together and support each other and we really have felt a lot of love from our local community. 

“Donations were coming in everyday, we had local restaurants and takeaways offering to make and deliver fresh food to keep our staff going; we had individuals giving up their time and helping in any way they could. 

“The kindness and generosity showed what the people of Tameside and Glossop stand for and I am so proud to be part of that.”

As a way of saying thank-you to the community, the local NHS trust has identified Saturday, July 4, and Sunday, July 5, which is the NHS’s birthday, as the perfect opportunity to return all the thanks they have received by saying a huge thank-you of their own. 

On Saturday at 8pm the Trust will acknowledge all those people who have tragically lost their lives to the virus and a thank-you to everybody who has helped during the pandemic by illuminating Tameside Hospital’s main entrance in NHS blue.

This will be followed by a special virtual concert aired live at 8.30pm on YouTube to celebrate the NHS, thank the local community and help raise awareness of their on-going £1m Scanner Appeal, where the Trust is aiming to raise enough funds to purchase a new CT scanner machine, a much-needed and urgent piece of kit of direct benefit to the local community. 

You can read all about the concert here, while details on how to watch the concert will be shared on the Trust’s website and on social media. 

On Sunday at 12 noon, members of staff will gather, socially distanced, outside main entrances and applaud the fantastic support, generosity and love that has been shown by members of the local community, business, charities and individuals.

The weekend will be a time of reflection and celebration as we remember all those people we have lost over the last few months and give thanks to the countless number of acts of generosity by our community and neighbours.

Tameside and Glossop IC NHS FT have published a list of businesses and individuals they would like to thank and have posted this on their news section of their website.