Awarded over £900,000 from NHSCT’s national Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.

Two years after the first UK lockdown was announced – and NHS Charities Together launched its record-breaking fundraiser – Awyr Las North Wales NHS Charity shares the difference public support has made locally

Two years since Boris Johnson announced the UK’s first Covid-19 lockdown, Awyr Las is highlighting the incredible impact of support provided by the British public through NHS Charities Together’s Covid-19 Urgent Appeal. Launched the same day lockdown started, Awyr Las in North Wales will ultimately be awarded over £900,000 from NHSCT’s national Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.

Since the start of the pandemic, Awyr Las has enhanced the well-being of NHS Staff, volunteers and patients impacted by COVID-19, in many ways. It has:

• Helped to fund the Staff Wellbeing Support Service which provides psychological support for NHS staff
• Funded many additional wellbeing items for frontline staff, including drinks, fridges, ipads and furniture for new staff breakout areas and staff and volunteers have together been able to take part in an important arts project too.
• Patient care has been transformed in some cases thanks to the additional support given. The donations funded small but significant items like baby monitors and blood pressure machines to monitor heart failure patients in their own homes.
• The support funded large, life changing programmes like the Health Board’s bereavement support service, its carers support service, the chronic pain management virtual support service and a talking therapy service for mental health service users.
• Young people benefited in hospitals, with frontline staff organising children's inpatient activity bags, and at home with a small grant given to help provide extra monitoring equipment for children with diabetes.
• Frontline NHS staff have been able to give extra support to mental health service users in the community by providing self-care and wellness helping hand bags. Thanks to the funding from NHS Charities Together more people have been able to take an active role in improving the care that our patients receive, with grants funding volunteer expenses and extra equipment to help train up nursing staff in care homes as well as hospitals.
• Importantly, the grant received from NHS Charities Together has helped NHS staff learn and share their learning from the initial Covid-19 response period. NHS Charities Together has funded a COVID-19 Medical Education Fellowship, a Covid-19 Simulation Suite for one of our Emergency Departments, three innovation projects that are being led by local NHS staff and new equality and inclusion programmes.
• Additional mental health support for NHS staff, volunteers patients. An example is the Talking Therapies programme provides an early intervention for people experiencing low mood, anxiety and depression. The service is provided in partnership with Mind and Advanced Brighter Futures.
• Additional support for some of the most vulnerable in our communities. An example of this is a home from hospital project which will provide food parcels for elderly and those who need additional support upon discharge from a hospital.

Moving forward, as part of the region’s recovery from the pandemic, the funds from NHS Charities Together’s Covid-19 Appeal can help fund:

Additional mental health support for NHS staff, volunteers patients. An example is the Talking Therapies programme provides an early intervention for people experiencing low mood, anxiety and depression. The service is provided in partnership with Mind and Advanced Brighter Futures.

• Additional support for some of the most vulnerable in our communities. An example of this is a home from hospital project which will provide food parcels for elderly and those who need additional support upon discharge from a hospital.