Rainbow

PUT A HEART IN THE RAINBOW FOR KEY WORKERS

The Countess Charity’s latest fundraising initiative is The Rainbow, in partnership with the British Ironwork Centre.

A large structure will be built in the shape of a rainbow to commemorate and remember all key workers who worked so hard during the COVID-19 pandemic. The sculpture, comprising of thousands of multi-coloured hearts, will be displayed on site.

Lesley Woodhead, Head of Fundraising, said: “We have all loved seeing the rainbows on display in windows, on roundabouts and on t-shirts so we thought it would be a great fundraising idea to create something that will last.

“Our good friends at Medicash are sponsoring the structure and we are inviting everyone to buy one or more of the thousands of hearts we need in the colour of their choice.

“We have had great support from our community, NHS staff, patients, local companies and schools. Everyone is welcome to sponsor a heart in The Rainbow.”

Funds raised by this project will go towards our Blue Skies Balcony Appeal which will build an outside space in the form of a balcony for ICU. Sue Weir, Chief Executive of Medicash, said: “Medicash has enjoyed a long-standing relationship with the Countess and is excited about our next project with them – The Medicash Rainbow. The Rainbow is a symbol of hope and something that everyone can get involved with. It’s a simple way of giving back. Now, more than ever, we all appreciate our health and the work that everyone at the Countess does to support us.” Clive Knowles, Chairman, British Ironwork Centre, said: “This is a design that is so of the moment, with the country in crisis and the NHS protecting every one of us from the virus. We are honoured and delighted to undertake this project for the Countess of Chester and will ensure it’s beautiful.”

Each heart can be sponsored for a minimum of £10, with everyone who buys heart being sent a favour to keep in their purse or pocket of the colour they choose: red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo or violet. Lesley added: “We hope to complete the Rainbow in the summer of 2021. If you can’t choose one colour – choose more!”

Ways to put a heart in The Rainbow

You can pay online or via cheque. Cheques should be made payable to The Countess Charity and posted to: The Countess Charity Countess of Chester Hospital Liverpool Road Chester CH2 1UL

Pay online at: https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/putaheartinourrainbow2020

Dr Simon Ridler holds up his heart for The Rainbow

Blue Skies Balcony Appeal update

Fundraising continues for a new balcony area to be built next to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU).

The Blue Skies Balcony Appeal is raising £500,000 to create this openair extension, which will be used for rehabilitation and therapy, giving patients some welcome fresh air and a break from being on the unit. The therapeutic benefits of being outdoors are proven to not only be calming for patients, but also foster improved clinical outcomes – such as reducing pain medication and shortening hospital stays. Dr Simon Ridler, the Consultant leading the project, said: “The ability to get our patients outside, however briefly, and expose them to natural light will go a long way towards improving their outcomes and their experience of critical care. Having this facility will make it much easier and safer to transfer patients outside and will potentially allow several patients to use the facility each day. It will put us in the avant-garde of intensive care units in our region.” ICU has historically been a very isolated and private unit due to safety and infection control. It is now believed that the clinical risks of taking a patient outside are no greater than moving their treatment to another part of the hospital, with the required life support and patient consent. Lesley Woodhead, Head of Fundraising, said: “Thank you to everyone who has given their support to this appeal so far. Taking patients outside and giving them an experience of what they have been missing is a simple but powerful way of providing these benefits.”

WE CAN’T WAIT TO GET BACK TO ‘NORMAL’

Lead Governor Peter Folwell looks back at the year of COVID-19

The Council of Governors has remained active throughout the pandemic, albeit working in very different ways, to continue representing members and the population served by the Trust.

When the difficulties posed by coronavirus became clear, it had significant implications for the governors, given most of us are retired and therefore in the more vulnerable age groups. We were desperate to continue our work as much as possible, but we also recognised that one of the best ways we could support the hospital and our amazing healthcare teams was to step back and avoid adding to their burden at such a crucial time.

With this in mind, as the hospital shifted to a pandemic response footing, regular group meetings and discussions were streamlined considerably, but we remain part of all those deemed crucial enough to continue. With visiting no longer permitted, it was no longer possible for the governors to have a physical presence in the hospital. This meant that, unfortunately, our Gov Rounds had to be suspended. Of all the things we do, nothing is better than us actually getting out into different areas and speaking to people. However, it would have been inappropriate for that to continue while patients couldn’t see their loved ones and also to keep everyone as safe as possible. Despite those changes, the governors have still had a very full calendar. We have been adjusting to the world of virtual meetings like everyone else, but we have been actively involved in the recruitment of new non-executive directors and the drafting of the Trust’s new constitution. Our first-ever virtual Annual Members’ Meeting was a huge success in October. A total of eight new governors joined our ranks, while three existing governors we re-elected for another three years – you can view our full team on the graphic below. Welcome and congratulations to all those who were successful. Thank you to everyone who voted in that election process. One surprising benefit of the past year has been that we have held more informal sessions online than we ever would normally. These gettingto-know-you sessions with the non-executive directors have been both fun and informative. I am convinced that they will make us a stronger unit as we work with the hospital’s management in 2021 and beyond. I just hope we can get back out into the wards and departments soon. I can’t wait to see familiar faces again and we have something very important to say: “Thank you.”

Michael Hemmerdinger

Unfortunately, I have some sad news to share. Former Lead Governor Michael Hemmerdinger has recently passed away. Michael joined the Trust as a Governor in 2004 and was Lead Governor for 12 years. Many of you will have known the enthusiasm and dedication he brought to the role and the Trust was lucky to count him as a member of the team. On behalf of the Council of Governors, our deepest condolences are with his family.