Witney MP Robert Courts joined volunteers sprucing up the gardens at Witney Community Hospital last week. Mr Courts, who is vice patron of Volunteer Link-Up, helped Janet Boullin and Sally Kerr plant summer bedding in the therapeutic garden at the close of Volunteers Week 2021. He also helped Angela Conlan, Creating with Care lead for Oxford Health Charity, paint stones for the hospital’s water feature. Good Neighbour Scheme support service coordinator (Oxfordshire) Martha Holland said: “Our volunteers, Janet and Sally, shared their passion and knowledge about the garden with Robert and it was clear how much time and effort they put into the space.
But his fundraising efforts continue to help the NHS. Some of the money he raised has gone to Oxford Health Charity and to Oxford Hospitals Charity, and so far it has funded:
Emergency respite rooms for staff to get out of the clinical environment, relax, close their eyes and breathe more deeply
Lung function monitors for every child in Oxfordshire with cystic fibrosis
iPads for older patients to watch virtual concerts so they feel less isolated in hospital
Meals for staff who spent much of 2020 staying in lodgings to be closer to hospitals and to protect their families
A rest pod for the Emergency Department who work 24/7