Less than two weeks ago, two local businesswomen decided to launch a Food4Heroes scheme for Kettering General Hospital as a thank you to NHS staff during the coronavirus outbreak.
Kate Toller, from Sudborough, and Wendy de Capell Brooke, from Corby, had seen similar efforts working across the country and wanted to do the same for their local hospital.
The Old White Hart at Lyddington reopened its doors on 6 April specifically to cook the meals which are then delivered – free of charge – to the hospital by local company Route 1 Express.
You can donate to the scheme either through the national Food4Heroes pages or through Northamptonshire Community Foundation
A week after its launch on 6 April the scheme has already provided well over 2,000 meals for the hard-pressed workers at Kettering Hospital.
Dr Raj Mattu who is part of the Covid-19 Cardiology team wrote to the owners of the Old White Hart and said, “You’re kindness and actions are what make our country great. We are much obliged.”
Kettering General Hospital’s #We Care Team Team Leader, Jayne Chambers, said,
“This is a fantastic idea which will be very much appreciated by our hard working teams because it helps to make their lives that bit easier. It is being targeted at our staff who work on into evening and will really appreciate this extra support.
“We have been very touched by the many offers of support we have received from our local community and I want to thank everyone who is doing so. Thanks to Kate and Wendy for the time and effort they have taken to get this scheme started and we very much hope it will be a great success.”
Kettering General Hospital’s #We Care Team Team Leader, Jayne Chambers, said, “This is a fantastic idea which will be very much appreciated by our hard working teams because it helps to make their lives that bit easier. It is being targeted at our staff who work on into evening and will really appreciate this extra support.
“We have been very touched by the many offers of support we have received from our local community and I want to thank everyone who is doing so. Thanks to Kate and Wendy for the time and effort they have taken to get this scheme started and we very much hope it will be a great success.”
Holly East, owner of the Old White Hart said, “When we heard about this scheme, we knew that we had to be part of it straight away. We got in touch with the organisers in Yorkshire and started planning how we get the staff, the food and the delivery services in place. And thanks to all, within a few days, we were ready to go!”
The pub will cook the meals each morning, catering for all tastes and allergens, and they will then be taken at 0945 by Route 1 Express Couriers to the hospital where doctors, nurses and health workers can pick them up, free of charge.
Lee Haines of Route 1 Express Couriers said, “We all want to show our support for the NHS and all health and care workers at this time of emergency. When I was approached to see if we could help with Food4Heroes, it was a no-brainer to say, yes, of course, when do we start? I would urge people to give generously to pay for the costs of the meals for as long as they are needed.
Debbie Groome of Butterfly Crafts is making her contribution too – supplying her amazing, hand made rich chocolate tiffin cakes – a welcome treat during a hard-working day.
And now Sheffield based Keylink have donated the chocolate to make the cakes! Keylink is the chocolatier’s one-stop shop. Trading for 50 years, they supply chocolate for many leading brand names.
And Ady Pendred of Pendred Signs did an incredible job of producing overnight all the signs for the scheme to go on the pub and the Route 1 delivery vans. While the local Waitrose store is providing ingredients for the meals too!
Other services to support the scheme are being provided free of charge by PR agency, Athene Communications and Corby based Great Oakley Estates.
