Staff and residents at Wrexham care home “humbled” by donations from public and local businesses

Residents and staff at a care organisation say they have been “humbled” by a vast array of donations to help their fight against coronavirus.

Among the gifts received by the Pendine Park care organisation were 2,000 gowns, 500 pairs of foot protectors and face masks from poultry processing firm Maelor Foods.

Other donations included Easter eggs, pizza and cakes along with items of PPE made or donated by local schools, St Joseph’s, St Mary’s, Ysgol Clywedog, Ysgol Penygelli in Coedpoeth and Ysgol Argoed in Mynydd Isa

Cindy Clutton, manager of Pendine’s Hillbury care home, said she was thrilled when Maelor Foods dropped off the huge consignment of PPE.

“We are working extremely hard to keep coronavirus out of our care home so we can protect our vulnerable residents,” she said.

“Pendine has been successful in sourcing what we need in terms of PPE but the extra supplies mean we don’t need to worry.

“What is particularly helpful is the donation of 2,000 gowns. While we were managing when it comes to gloves and face masks the gowns and foot protectors really help add another layer of protection that might just make all the difference.

“It’s wonderful that a local company such as Maelor Foods have thought to help us in this way.

“It’s not an easy time for any business so to make a donation of highly valuable PPE to a care home shows a real level of public spiritedness and we couldn’t be more grateful or delighted.

“I look forward to the time when the lockdown is behind us so we can invite Maelor Foods staff to our care home so we can really thank them for their kindness.

“I would also like to pay tribute to our new facilities manager, Julie Wood, who has been awesome since she arrived and has done a brilliant job in sourcing PPE. She is playing an absolute blinder.”

Ricky Mehta, a director of Maelor Foods which employs 180 people at Cross Lanes, said: “Most of the people who work here are from the local area and we are part of the Wrexham community to it was important to us to help a local care home.

“We always have gowns, foot protectors and face masks in stock as they are important when it comes to hygiene control within our business.

“We have made it clear to Hillbury House, which is the closest care home to our processing plant, that whatever they need so far as PPE is concerned then we will be happy to donate it if we possibly can.

He added: “It’s great to be in a position to help and it’s in our culture as a business to do what we can to help locally. We delivered the supplies to the door and we were delighted with the reaction.

“The coronavirus pandemic is probably the biggest health crisis we have ever seen and I feel it is incumbent on all businesses to dig in and support the more vulnerable in society. We are a business but we are also part of the community from where we operate.”

Sarah Edwards, artist-in-residence at Pendine Park, said the staff and residents had been overwhelmed by the kindness and support of the local community.

She said: “The sheer volume of the donations has been incredibly humbling.

“It would be too difficult to name everyone but we have received everything from pizzas and cakes to other items of PPE. Schools have been generous with pupils of St Joseph’s School making face masks for us.

“But other schools including St Mary’s, Ysgol Clywedog, Ysgol Penygelli and Ysgol Argoed, have donated PPE and treats to us.

“Supermarkets such as Asda, Morrisons and Sainsbury’s have dropped off gifts, we have had a tablet donated by Airbus, Domino Pizzas sent all the night staff pizzas while Top Nosh sent cakes.

“We also had a surgical face masks and a box of cakes delivered from Doctor Lim at Penybryn Medical Centre and local residents Keith and Jenny Aspen donated 30 visors. We also had 50 boxes of Hotel Chocolat chocolates donated by the kind-hearted family of one our residents..

“It really has been incredible and we can’t thank the local community enough. It just isn’t possible to list everyone, such as been the generosity.

“All we can do is say a heartfelt thank you to each and every one that has supported residents and staff at this tough time.”