From sandwiches to drawings, Great Western Hospital staff have been overwhelmed by the support they received throughout the year from the community to thank them for their work during the pandemic.

The hospital has been flooded by donations, including PPE equipment, laptops, more than 10,000 sandwiches from The Bank in Old Town, 37,200 tea bags, over 20,000 chocolate bars, hand creams and many more.

Director of fundraising for GWH Catherine Newman said: “When the pandemic hit us, things changed quite a lot for our team, and the focus was really around the wellbeing of our patients and staff.

“We were inundated with thousands of gifting kind from local businesses and local groups, so people were bringing food, and businesses would call us to help us.

“The most challenging we have to deal with during a pandemic is tiredness. It was long hours, and it was very exhausting.

“Usually it’s mentally exhausting, but for us it was physical. It was tough.

“There are times where you are quite emotional but every day when you see a member of staff and you meet a patient who says ‘thank you’, it all makes it worthwhile.

She added: “But we are so proud of Swindon and the surrounding villages, they’ve been incredible.

“I have never seen generosity like it.”

Cat and her team have raised money for iPads to allow the patients to connect to their family while they are on the ward.

She said: “Family members were restricted from being able to come in. These iPads really helped patients continue to speak to their families and see them.

“We just to adapt the way we were working.”

Every week, they would prepare care packages for staff, which include snacks, drinks, and sandwiches.

“It’s just to get them going, because a lot of them couldn’t get out during the day to get their lunch.”

The hospital’s charity Brighter Futures has also driven more than 1,000 miles across North Wiltshire to drop snack bags to several GP surgeries including Carfax Health Centre, West Swindon Health Centre and more.

Cat said: “The feedback was hugely positive from the staff, it got them through some quite tough days. It was just little things, like notes from schools.

“It was just a reminder that they are not on their own, and they’ve got people thinking about them.”

To support the charity visit brighterfutures.enthuse.com