More help for Huddersfield Royal Infirmary staff

Crisps, snacks and drinks in storage on campus have been delivered to Huddersfield Royal Infirmary to provide essential refreshments for the hard-working staff

THE University of Huddersfield has helped to provide a much-needed boost for hospital staff while they deal with Covid-19 at Huddersfield Royal Infirmary (HRI).

Staff at the Infirmary can now take a break accompanied by a ‘Boost Box’, made up of drinks and snacks delivered by the University’s Estates and Facilities department.

The delivery follows in the footsteps of the University’s donation of personal protective equipment from its own supplies to the hospital trust in early April.

The crisps, snacks and bottled drinks would normally have been sold at the cafes and food outlets across the University, but with the campus in lockdown they would be languishing in storage for the foreseeable future.

Study at Huddersfield

However, Michaela Booth, the University’s Catering Operations Manager, had the idea to donate all the snacks and drinks previously locked away on the campus to HRI. 

The Estates team contacted HRI’s fundraising team before loading a van filled with boxes of crisps and snacks, and over a thousand bottled drinks, that was then driven to the Infirmary by Purchasing Co-ordinator Phil Goddard.

“When Phil got to HRI, the staff were so busy that he unloaded the van and took the stock to their storeroom himself,” says Tim Hosker, the University’s Acting Director of Estates and Facilities.  “We did the same when we took the PPE – it’s so busy there that we don’t want to take up their valuable time.”

“We approached the chief executive of the Trust, and then filtered the supplies to the right areas.  They are incredibly busy at HRI, but if we can do our little bit to help then we are delighted to do so.  It’s about helping our community.”

Tim Hosker, Acting Director of Estates and Facilities

The HRI fundraising team have now used the supplies to make up ‘Boost Boxes’, which are available for staff throughout the hospital when they take a break in staff rooms and breakout spaces.

“Hopefully, it will give them a little boost at breaktime for their rest and recovery when they dip into the box for a drink or a snack,” adds Mr Hosker.

“We have to support the local community in whatever way we can.  That’s not easy sometimes, but this was straightforward to put together.”