Committee

Garden benches are a tonic for hospital patients and staff

21st April 2022 by Richard Batson

Patients and staff can relax in the garden at North Walsham hospital thanks to new furniture provided by its Friends group.

A selection of picnic tables and benches have been bought and installed in the grounds, mounted on new paved bases in a £10,000 scheme, which also involved extended pathways funded by the Friends.

It means patients can sit and enjoy the patio and garden behind the wards, either on their own or with visitors.

Staff, who have been working long shifts in full protective equipment to deal with Covid patients, can also spend their breaks outdoors to grab some much needed fresh air.

Friends chairman Keith Jarvis said: “We are delighted to have provided the furniture and have had very positive feedback from staff about how much it is appreciated by them and patients.

“As with all our work, the project was paid for using money donated by the public – so we would also like to thank everyone who has supported us.”

The Friends, who provide extras to improve patient and staff welfare at the War Memorial Hospital, have also recently bought radios for the wards, shaving mirrors for patients and are planning other projects ranging from an overnight room for visitors, and some special recliner chairs to a coffee and tea kitty for staff.

Recent donations include £160 from Antingham Parochial Church Council and £83 from Trunch Knitters and Stitchers’ Easter sale.

If you would like to support the work of the Friends, make a donation, leave a legacy, or get involved please visit the website www.northwalshamhospitalfriends.org.uk

Picture (credit Richard Batson) Friends committee members and staff trying out one of the new picnic benches

Friends deliver festive gifts to hospital patients and staff

22nd December 2021 by Richard Batson

We’ve been! A sleigh-full of goodies have been dropped off at North Walsham hospital by its Friends group to give patients and staff a festive boost.

Packages for patients include a dozen goodies ranging from word search puzzle books and bedsocks, to toiletries and chocolates.

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital Friends 2021 Christmas gifts — *Friends chairman Keith Jarvis and wife Zana delivering the festive goody bags.*

Three big hamper bags for staff working on the wards, and other departments, contained food and drink including mince pies and biscuits.

They were delivered by Friends chairman Keith Jarvis and his wife Zana who is a committee member.

Keith said: “It is a Friends tradition to do the Christmas presents, which we know are appreciated by the patients and staff. In a normal year we would tour the wards handing them out, but this is the second year we have had to drop them off, for staff to hand out on Christmas Day.

“Patients enjoy the treats, and they like knowing that people, other than their family, are thinking of them at Christmas. And we like to show our appreciation to staff, who have had a particularly tough year due to Covid.”

Meadow makeover by hospital Friends

1st November 2021 by Richard Batson

Hospital supporters have turned land workers to give a wild flower meadow a winter makeover.

The area in front of North Walsham War Memorial Hospital has been mown, and is now being raked, by members of its Friends group.

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital Friends wild flower meadow work — *Hospital Friends Angie Batson, James Plummer and Keith Jarvis at work in the wild flower meadow.*

Next they plan to tidy up pathways where wooden edgings and anti-weed mat have rotted.

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital wild flower meadow in bloom — *The wild flower meadow in bloom*

The meadow was created by the Friends, with help from local businessman Carl Bird in memory of his mum Madge, in 2012 on the site of the former hospital when it was replaced by the current building.

Friends chairman Keith Jarvis said: “Ten years on, the meadow is in need of a bit of tender loving care, so we have given it a good haircut and rake through to help the flowers come back stronger next year.

“We will also remove crumbling edges and torn matting which have become a trip hazard.

“There are not many of us, so we are trying to enlist help from other organisations who might be able to join work parties in the coming weeks.”

Anyone willing to help should contact Keith at k.jarvis155@btinternet.com.

Other Friends news:

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital Armistice Day 2020

A Remembrance Day service will be held at the hospital at 10.45am on Thursday November 11. Last year, due to Covid, nobody except a handful of representatives was allowed to attend – but this year visitors are welcome to attend, while remaining socially distanced.
The Friends are also planning to provide festive gifts for the two dozen patients spending Christmas on the wards. As last year, due to Covid restrictions, we cannot attend to hand them out, which will be done by staff. But we will be putting up trimmed Christmas trees outside the front door and on the rear patio, and providing hampers for staff.
We have also provided a range of “extras” for the hospital, using funds donated by the public, ranging from compost bins for volunteer gardeners and shaving mirrors for patients to plastic boxes for staff “scrubs”.

Find out more about the Friends, our work, and how to donate or get involved by exploring this website.

Hospital Friends help with goodies and garden gear – agm report

1st July 2021 by Richard Batson

Garden improvements, goodies for staff in lockdown, and a mural to brighten up a brick wall were among the “extras” provided for North Walsham hospital by its Friends group during a tough Covid-hit year.

The volunteer charity group supports the town’s War Memorial Hospital by providing a range of equipment and treats bought with money given by public donations.

Some routine events such as Christmas carol singing and present-giving were put on ice during lockdown, but patients still received gifts, and hard-working staff doing long shifts in full PPE were bought weekly goodie parcels of snacks and drinks to boost morale.

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital Covid goody parcels — Friends chairman Keith Jarvis delivering another batch of goody parcels to staff during lockdown

Chairman Keith Jarvis said: “Our thoughts have been with the staff working in difficult conditions and we hope our goodies helped keep their spirits high.”

One scheme that was Covid-proof was the addition of a piece of stunning wall art by mural artist Sophie Cane – which now brightens up a brick wall outlook from a ward and corridor.

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital mural by Sophie Cane — Sophie Cane adding the finishing touches to the mural.

And with lockdown easing the Friends have bought wheelbarrows and compost to help volunteer gardeners smarten up the gardens near the patio. They are also providing garden furniture and picnic benches where patients, visitors and staff can sit and enjoy the grounds.

North Walsham War Memorial Hospital volunteer gardeners — Friends chairman Keith Jarvis (centre) with volunteers Morag Neeld and Ian Lovick

The Friends’ work was outlined at an annual general meeting which covered two years due to the pandemic lockdown.

Over the year the Friends spent £5842 and received £22,044 in donations and legacies, including a £10,000 gift from former local librarian Beryl Coston, for equipment which the committee is currently liaising with the health authority over.

Plans for the future include an overnight stay room for visitors, improvements to the Wild Flower Meadow, and to reuse a window and cross saved from a demolished hospital chapel as a feature in the grounds.

The Friends are also keen to increase their membership and find new committee members.

Keith added: “The hospital has played a major part in town life. People were born there, and family members and friends have been cared for there. It is holds a place in the community’s heart, but we would like more people who have an affinity with it to come forward and help the Friends make improvements there for current patients, visitors and staff.”

To find out more about the Friends’ work and how to get involved please click here or follow our Facebook group page.

Friends committee starts working on latest projects

26th May 2021 by Richard Batson

It’s been seven months – but the Friends committee is back in face-to-face action.

We have held our first meeting since early November and are raring to go with lots of ideas to improve life for the hospital’s patients, staff and visitors.

Not that we have been idle during our half year in lockdown. We have been keeping in contact via phone and Zoom, and kept up our support through schemes as diverse as goodie parcels for the hard-working staff to an uplifting mural outside one of the wards.

We are now looking into upgrading the garden furniture to help people enjoy sitting in the grounds either as visitors or staff taking a well-earned break.

Also on our agenda is improving the Wild Flower Meadow on the left hand side of the driveway, resurrecting plans for a visitors’ overnight room that was put on ice during the pandemic, and talking to health trust chiefs about how best to spend a family legacy.

It was good to welcome to our meeting Carol Plunkett the charity development and project manager for the Norfolk Community Health and Care NHS Trust, and we look forward to working with her. She was even greeted by a family of small deer in the grounds!

We will update you on our projects on this page in the coming months. For more information on the work of the Friends, and to find out how you can support us, please click here.

Garden benches are a tonic for hospital patients and staff

Friends deliver festive gifts to hospital patients and staff

Meadow makeover by hospital Friends

Hospital Friends help with goodies and garden gear – agm report

Friends committee starts working on latest projects

Chairman

Secretary

Treasurer