Local Heroes

community Local Heroes...

Kathryn Bell

Sarah Spencer-Adams nominated Kathryn Bell for the work she did for NHS staff at PRUH.

Sarah said: “I would like to say a big thank you to Kathryn Bell on behalf of all staff at the PRUH. At the start of the current lockdown Kathryn created a FB page & motivated the community to donate snacks and drinks for NHS staff. This was an invaluable gesture and much appreciated by all the hard working & exhausted staff. Kathryn coordinated the deliveries and even set up an Amazon account which made donation easier – and kept Kathryn very busy. On top of all this, Kathryn was home schooling her two young children, supporting her husband who works as a local bus driver and is the main carer for her 94-year old grandfather who has terminal cancer. On behalf of the staff at the PRUH, I would like to say a very well deserved thank you to Kathryn!”

How does it feel to be nominated by Sarah, Kathryn?

It has really taken me by surprise and I am very touched. I’m just so glad that I was able to help in some way, but I couldn't have done it on my own - the community really pulled together and it was a team effort.

What inspired you to start raising funds and providing supplies for PRUH staff - and what have you managed to achieve?

I know several amazing people who work for the NHS and at our local PRUH hospital, and had spoken to them about the unbelievable struggles they faced when the pandemic first took hold; they were exhausted and morale was low. When we went into the January lockdown I really wanted to help, so I spoke with some of the people I knew and asked them what they needed. This is when I learnt that there was a regional supply shortage of scrubs and that the wellbeing hub could use some supplies of food and snacks for staff. I then decided to contact the administrator of a Facebook group that had been set up in the first wave, Orpington Covid 19 Mutual Aid, to see if they could support my idea. Unfortunately, the group was no longer running, so I decided to take it on myself. I started arranging local donations of items that NHS staff needed and used my house as a drop-off point. I also shared an Amazon Wishlist which I discovered was key, as many people didn't want to leave the house but still wanted to help. My home quickly became full of amazing donations, so I asked the local community for help transporting the items to and from the hospital and I needed another location that could store items too. This is when my amazing friend Nikki Heffernan, who owns Sprinkles in Orpington, stepped in to help and also Raju, Anita and Kai from the Premier Store at Eldred Drive. We then organised the donations and deliveries between us. I also used the FB page to ask for help in getting scrubs made and it’s where I found the amazing Claire who owns Taylor and Able in Penge. She was then able to co-ordinate a team of sewers who could make the scrubs. They were then dropped off to my home address and an ICU ward sister collected the scrubs and distributed them through her team and to the HUB. It really was a team effort and the way the community pulled together was simply amazing. On the Facebook page I also received several referrals for people who needed prescriptions or shopping collecting because they were isolating, so I carried out these duties and also asked for others to help too.

How do you manage to juggle everything including motherhood?

My children actually got involved by sorting out all the donations and putting them into bags so they could get delivered easier. They enjoyed helping me and it gave them a sense of purpose too.

What does community spirit mean to you?

It’s a feeling of togetherness, where people look out for each other and care about each other’s wellbeing. It is certainly something that I have felt in these uncertain times.

What’s next for you?

Now things have eased I’m keeping the FB page but turning it into a mutual aid group - a place where people can still come for help if they haven't got family nearby and they need something or are struggling with food etc... or just need a chat.