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Walk 4 Wards 2020

Less than one week to go!

In the wake of COVID-19, we asked our walkers to adapt our usual Walk4Wards event into a virtual one, giving them free rein on location and two months to complete the challenge.  Really, the only requirement was to cover the original 7.5 miles or to measure it in steps – 15,840 to be more precise! 

Many walkers have been able to take advantage of the glorious weather, exploring new routes and even stepping up the distance! 

With the virtual event finishing on 1 September, here’s hoping that other supporters will find the time to get their walk in before then. And so far over £8000 has been raised to support our local hospitals and community services!  Here are just a few examples of the fabulous fundraising:

  • SCBU Manager Gerry Cotter and her husband Deva Sahabandu have raised over £1000 to refurbish the parents room on the Special Care Baby Unit.
  • Community Matron Blessing Mazanzi and her daughter Violet have raised over £500 to help improve patient services on the Alex Frailty ward, and purchase a bladder scanner.
  • Team Sexual Health Striders have raised over £1300 to fund contraception, sexual health, and HIV services.

Check out some great ‘Finish line photos’ from Gerry, Blessing, the Striders and other Walk 4 Wards walkers at Flickr.

We have several more stories to share, but we’ll leave you with these headlines for now. We’re looking forward to the final countdown of photos and fun! And let’s not forget, the Trust is matching every penny raised!

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Gurkhas Give Generously

As a token of thanks to our staff, the South London Nepalese Gurkha Association has donated £1,154 to Epsom and St Helier Hospitals Charity.

The Association were so moved by the struggles faced by staff in recent months, and the unprecedented demand put on hospital services, that they desperately felt the need to give something in return.

For some members of the Association the donation was particularly personal – relatives who had caught coronavirus were cared for by St Helier’s ICU team for 25 days before, happily, being declared fit and healthy enough to return home to their families.

Fundraising Manager, Sasha Phillips, said: “Our communities have been overwhelmingly supportive of our local hospitals during the coronavirus outbreak. So we are yet again humbled to now receive this donation from our local Gurkha Association which will go towards providing additional support for staff wellbeing at the hospitals.”

If you would like to make a donation please visit Ways to give.

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COVID-19: Thank You

The kindness of our local communities during COVID-19 has been amazing!

Like NHS staff up and down the country, the teams at Epsom and St Helier have been working incredibly hard to care for patients and to help stop the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

During this challenging time, staff at the hospitals and in community services have been truly bolstered by the support from our local communities, and we would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has made a donation, created art to celebrate staff, or joined the weekly #clapforcarers. Over the last few weeks, hundreds of people and local companies have reached out to our hospitals and community services to express their gratitude for staff, including 1,000 free meals for staff from a generous philanthropist, and a father and son-in-law duo who shaved their hair off!

Donations have also come in from local individuals, community groups and sports clubs, schools, as well as lots of companies including TK Maxx, Uber, Boots, Pizza Express, KFC, Dominos, Fireaway, Starbucks, Eucerin Skincare, Eve Beds, Café Nero, Pure Food Systems, Michael Clark, Costco, Asda, Waitrose, Sainsbury’s, Lidl, Morrisons, Tesco, M&S, Debenhams, Wilsons, Wow Hydrate, Tropical Skin Care, Sodafolk, Howdens, Dukes Head Wallington, AJ Building, Scott Dunn Travel, North Woodcote Green Nurseries and Miller Harris with more coming in every day. Nike have also offered their support, donating around 400 trainers and sports kits!

We are currently facing uncharted waters as we navigate through the COVID-19 pandemic, but one constant always remains. In times of crisis you can rely on #TeamESTH (Epsom and St Helier Hospitals) to be here for you and your family.

Joint Medical Director Dr Ruth Charlton, said: “We would like to say a huge thank you to everyone who has taken the time to offer their support over the past few weeks. Our staff are going above and beyond to protect and care for our patients, keep services running and reduce the risk to the public, fellow colleagues and their loved ones. Of course, our staff will be here for you whatever happens and our commitment to help keeping people safe and as well as possible will not change.

“We are doing as much as we can to make life a little easier for our staff, including offering free parking, additional psychological and health and wellbeing support, and our onsite shops have changed their stock to include fresh vegetables and home essentials, and are offering protected shopping time for staff.

“We have received some very touching messages of support for our staff, as well as some very generous donations and discount offers – these gestures are greatly appreciated by our teams and a great boost to morale in this busy and difficult time. We owe everyone who has already donated, whether big or small, a huge thank you.”

While our staff take care of us during these very challenging times, with your support we can help take care of them through this crisis.

If you would like to say ‘Thank You’ with a small donation to support our amazing staff at Epsom and St Helier Hospitals and community services, it would be greatly appreciated. Your donation will help fund what our staff and hospitals need most to help them through this pandemic. justgiving.com/campaign/ThankYouESTH

If you have any queries, or would like us to pass on messages to the staff who cared for you, please email us at team@esthcharity.org.uk or call 01372 735262. Follow us on Twitter @EsthCharity, or like our Facebook page @esthcharity.

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London2Paris

Our London2Paris Bike Ride is still on for 16-20 September!

So, if you’ve been able to clock-up your Strava or Garmin cycling miles and metrics during Lockdown, then why not put them to good use and sign up today to support Epsom and St Helier Hospitals. And if it’s the first time you’ve been on a bike for years, then make London2Paris your new personal fitness challenge!

This iconic 300 mile ride will be a great way to shake off Lockdown as it takes you through beautiful English villages and into the stunning countryside of rural France, before reaching Paris on the fourth day to complete your challenge under the Eiffel Tower!

You can decide which ward or department you would like your ‘tour de fundraising’ to support, or you could put it towards our COVID-19 Appeal as a tribute to our hardworking staff during the pandemic.

The suggested target sponsorship is £1600, or you can self-fund the tour costs which are £800.

For a limited period, we are also offering 50% off the registration fee if you sign up by Tuesday 30 June.

To find out more and to book your place, please contact the Charity Team on 01372 735262 or by email at team@esthcharity.org.uk.

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Walk4Wards

Walk4Wards has gone virtual for 2020!

In the current COVID-19 climate of social restrictions and the reality of a new normal, we’re constantly adapting to keep up with government guidelines when it comes to social distancing and interacting two metres apart. With this in mind, we’re transforming our Walk4Wards event into a virtual one this year.

With the summer months upon us, we feel that now is the best time to reintroduce our event; the new, fun, flexible version!

The walk from Epsom Hospital to St Helier Hospital is 7.5 miles which translates into an average of 15,940 steps for those who like to use Fitbits and step counting apps on their mobile devices. To complete the Walk4Wards challenge, we need you to walk either 7.5 miles or 15,840 steps, between 1st July and 1st September, but how you do it is the creative and fun part.

Some ways of completing our challenge between 1st July and 1st September:

* Walk the intended route using our map and google maps as a guide.

* Cover the distance by walking around your neighbourhood, garden, or even tackling the staircase.

* Take on the steps in one venture, or spread them over a few outings.

To get you going we’ll be sending out your t-shirt, flag, map and also a message template so you can write your reason for taking part.

Make sure to share your progress on our Facebook and Twitter pages using #Walk4Wards. Complete your challenge and you’ll receive – new for this year – a shiny Walk4Wards medal! Just send in your ‘finish line’ photo and we’ll pop it in the post to you. We want to see you tackling this challenge so we can spread the love too!

If you haven’t signed up yet, and would like to participate, please get in touch with the Charity Team.

Finally, whenever and however you undertake your walk, please ensure you adhere to the government restrictions which are current at the time.

We look forward to seeing your #Walk4Wards variations!

For more information please contact the Charity Team on 01372 735262 or email at team@esthcharity.org.uk.

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Find out more about where your money goes

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What your help and support has achieved

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