Rhodar's Hands-On Help

Earlier this year, we were overwhelmed by the response when we asked businesses to donate items for wellbeing packs to give to our NHS staff. Inundated with tea and coffee, pyjamas, toiletries, food and treats worth £1.5m, we were then faced with the logistical challenge of how best to deal with the donations.

Already contracted on site at Manchester Royal Infirmary, in their capacity as asbestos removal experts, Rhodar’s team was initially asked if they could help move some palettes of items that had been donated.

An initial few hours help became 10 weeks, and the team of three – Luke Beamish, Aaron Nolan and Lloyd Nuttall – assisted in breaking up the palettes and picking & packing items within a temporary ‘processing plant’ that had been created and set up in the same building as our offices. Over this period, they got to know staff right across the hospital, raising Rhodar’s profile at the same time, and a staggering 25,000 packs were fulfilled and distributed! Rhodar’s team was then instrumental in organising the delivery of three van loads of leftover donations to ‘Homeless Aid UK’, a Bolton-based charity with whom Rhodar have had a long association of supporting.

“We enjoyed giving something back to say a big ‘thanks’ to the NHS. This was a different kind of hard work from our usual role at Rhodar and it was incredibly fulfilling seeing the smiles on the faces of the people we delivered packages to.”

In total, the trio worked in excess of one thousand hours, as part of a team of helpers, to support Manchester Foundation Trust Charity on this project - a good ‘shift’ for an incredibly worthwhile cause!