The people and organisations rallying together to tackle Coronavirus

From donating protective equipment to the hundreds of thousands of volunteers who have signed up to support our NHS, here’s a list of (fact-checked) stories about the communities and businesses helping tackle Coronavirus.

Over 750,000 volunteers sign up to support NHS

The Royal Voluntary Service announced yesterday that its new target of 750,000 volunteer responders was smashed after just two days. Community response volunteers will collect and deliver shopping, medication or ‘other essential supplies’ for people under isolation. You can read more here.

Over £15million has been raised for the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Appeal

NHS Charities Together represents 140 member NHS charities throughout the UK, and funds from its Covid-19 appeal will help support the health and wellbeing of NHS staff and volunteers supporting Covid-19 patients in ways above and beyond what NHS funding can ordinarily provide, including wellbeing packs and costs associated with travel, parking, accommodation and volunteer expenses. You can learn more about the fundraiser here.

A breathing aid that can help keep coronavirus patients out of intensive care has been created in under a week

University College London engineers worked with clinicians at UCLH and Mercedes Formula One to build the device, which delivers oxygen to the lungs without needing a ventilator.

Forty of the new devices have been delivered to ULCH and to three other London hospitals. If trials go well, up to 1,000 of the CPAP machines can be produced per day by Mercedes-AMG-HPP, beginning in a week’s time. You can read more here.

Lidl donates fruit and veg bags to thousands of NHS staff to keep them healthy

Working with the Royal Voluntary Service, Lidl will ensure frontline workers have access to healthy produce as they tackle coronavirus. The bags will be delivered directly to NHS workers at hospitals nationwide, following reports that panic buyers are causing shortages for them. You can read more here.

Wolverhampton Wanderers owners donate protective clothing to help city fight Coronavirus

Wolves’ Chinese owners Fosun donated 2,300 pieces of medical protection clothing to the city. The 1,300 coveralls and 1,000 masks was sent to front-line services in Wolverhampton, including New Cross Hospital. You can read more here.

Colleges across Portsmouth area donate 1,200 items of protective gear to NHS staff

Six colleges joined in the effort to ensure front-line health workers have goggles, aprons, and gloves needed to keep them safe during the coronavirus outbreak. Among those who have helped are Portsmouth College, Havant and South Downs College, and St Vincent College in Gosport. You can read more here.

Nottingham schools have donated equipment from their science labs to the NHS

The science and design departments at Chilwell School in Nottingham often use protective equipment for experiments and creative projects. The headteacher, Mr Phillips, said he managed to gather around 20 boxes worth of equipment and delivered it himself to Queen’s Medical Centre (QMC) last Friday. You can read more here.

Hundreds of donations have been made of pyjamas and toiletries for patients at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary

Toothpaste, toothbrushes, hairbrushes, shampoo, conditioner and bodywash are among the items donated, as well as a couple of iPads, so that patients can keep in touch with family members who are not allowed to visit. A part-time Bonnyrigg DJ, Billy Dempsey, has also offered to buy more clothes for donation using the £7,200 raised by a ‘90s night’ he broadcast on Facebook Live on Saturday night in aid of the NHS. You can read more here.

A couple donated their wedding food to the NHS after being forced to cancel their ceremony

The couple who went ahead with their wedding with two witnesses donated the food they had ordered to NHS workers. As a result of their donation, more than 400 hospital staff in Hull were fed over the weekend. You can read more here.

Doctor who had his bicycle stolen during a raft of thefts is offering NHS colleagues bikes donated by well-wishers

Dan Harvey, who works at Nottingham’s Queen’s Medical Centre, said there had been an “overwhelming response” in the wake of the thefts. He posted about the thefts on social media and received “loads and loads” of messages offering him a replacement bike. You can read more here.

Hull’s frontline NHS staff have been given many gifts from the public and businesses to give them a boost through the pandemic

Jacksons, Pipe and Glass, Hull4Heroes, Galloping Gourmet and Costa are just a few of the businesses that have been gifting NHS staff at Hull Royal Infirmary and Castle Hill Hospital. You can read more here.

Deliveroo has pledged 500,000 free meals for NHS workers

Pizza Hut’s UK operation has also committed to donating 300,000 free meals as part of the Deliveroo announcement, according to an insider, while Itsu, the Japanese food chain, also plans to participate. You can read more here.

Company donates water to frontline NHS staff tackling Covid-19 crisis at RSH

The company, based near Church Stretton, has committed to a regular donation to the Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust, of its 500ml still water whilst the crisis continues. To minimise contamination, bottled water is the only way to provide safe hydration to these staff. In addition, Wenlock Spring’s 500ml bottles are made with up to 51 per cent recycled plastic and are fully recyclable. You can read more here.

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