Thank You - Oxford Hospitals Charity

We are always grateful for the support of Oxford Hospitals Charity, the charity that is making a difference for patients and staff across our hospitals.

However, we now feel it is time for a very special message of thanks - to the staff of the charity who have been working all hours to support our front line teams throughout the COVID-19 crisis; to the many volunteers who have stepped in to help; and of course, to the amazingly generous people of Oxfordshire and beyond for contributing to the funds that make it all happen.

From the start of our COVID-19 response, the charity has been here for us: setting up an appeal to raise funds for staff support, and coordinating the many, many offers of food, toiletries, treats and gifts that flooded in from local businesses and individuals.

The charity has ensured that donations have been collected and distributed safely, removing the need for donors to put themselves at risk by coming to our hospital buildings, and fairly, so that teams working behind the front line were never forgotten.

For this purpose, charity 'hubs' have been created on all four of our hospital sites, and wards and teams throughout the Trust have received so many things; from the hot meals kindly donated by local and national providers, to skin creams for hands sore from endless washing and faces sore from PPE; cold drinks after long, hot shifts, and beautiful cup cakes with 'Thank You NHS' icing to make them feel appreciated.

The warm-hearted kindness of our charity colleagues, their unfailing support and positivity, has been a shining light throughout this dark period.

Now we want to shine the light back on to the charity itself, and offer our heartfelt appreciation and gratitude for everything they and their staff and supporters have done for us, and ours.

Professor Sir Jonathan Montgomery, OUH Chair, says:

"We were overwhelmed by the support of our local community, right from the start of our COVID-19 response.

"Had it not been for the help provided by Oxford Hospitals Charity, we would not have been able to look after our staff as well as we have, enabling them to provide the best possible care for our patients."

Thank you - THANK YOU - for everything that you do!