Ealing feels the love
A school pupil moved by a BBC report about the pressures facing NHS staff organised more than 800 letters of support to be delivered to her local hospital in Ealing.
Hannah Safi, a Year 12 student at Notting Hill and Ealing High School, encouraged fellow pupils and teachers to write messages of thanks.
Hannah, 17, “I was reading an article on BBC news that highlighted the large spike in cases of depression and anxiety among health care workers and read a testimony about how terrified a nurse was to return to the front lines for the second wave.
“It made me want to somehow communicate to every staff member in Ealing Hospital just how grateful we are, and how much we all see them as the heroes this country is so lucky to have.”
Hannah enlisted the help of her teachers to get the message.
One teacher put maths jokes on the board for her class to inspire some fun responses, while others wrote personal stories of how the NHS has helped them or a loved one at some point.
Hannah added: “We hope to show the hospital just how much we appreciate them and we wanted to thank everyone involved, no matter what their role.”
The letters, which were received by Dr Harmandeep Singh, deputy chief nurse Donna Adcock and fellow nurse Pam Mohomed-Hossen, were quarantined for 72 hours before being distributed to staff.
The gesture was welcomed with Donna Adcock saying: ‘It means so much to feel appreciated in this way and feel valued within our community.”
Dr Singh added: “Those on the frontline have gone through tremendous emotional and psychological trauma and see a lot of sickness and illness.
“Gestures such as these mean so much more than any monetary gift could provide. They show that people care and they provide staff with an inner strength to help continue the fight against covid.”
Matthew Shoults, Head Teacher of Notting Hill and Ealing High School said: “Hannah is a star! Not only did she come up with this lovely idea, but she has worked really hard to bring it through to fruition. This initiative shows us just how much young people genuinely care for their community. We are extremely proud of her and all our girls who contributed.”