Volunteers from Northern Gas Networks (NGN), the North of England’s gas distributor, are donating gifts to care homes to help brighten the lockdown for residents.

At a time when residents cannot have visits, the donations are small gestures of support and goodwill, with items such as sweets, chocolates and flowers being delivered to the front door: the sorts of gifts that friends and family themselves might usually take along for their relatives. Flowers and toiletries have also been donated for care home staff.

Some care homes have also received Samsung tablets, so that residents can talk to and see their families during the lockdown.

NGN colleagues Amanda and Lindsey White visited Firth House care home in Selby, North Yorkshire, to donate flowers and chocolates for both staff and residents, and a tablet for residents to use, while in Sunderland, Washington Grange care home received a tablet and toiletries.

The General Manager of Washington Grange, Paula Joicey, said: “I would like to say a huge thank you to the staff at Northern Gas Networks for their donation. It is much appreciated. The tablet that you donated will help our lovely residents to communicate with their families, which will mean a great deal to them at this time. The toiletries that you gave to us will be really beneficial for my staff, especially the hand cream, and regular washing is making their hands very sore and dry. Thank you again.”

In York, colleague Tara Kay organised a donation for St Leonard’s Hospice which included five Samsung tablets and water bottles for staff. Dawn Clements, the Head of Income Generation at St Leonard’s said: “The PPE that staff are wearing now as we operate within new Government guidelines can be uncomfortable and hot to wear for extended periods of time, so it’s absolutely key that our clinical teams are able to stay hydrated for their own health and safety. Thanks for thinking of the hospice at this time when there is so much else going.”

And Stephanie Ord, Customer Care Officer, made contact with Winton Court, a residential care home in Winlaton, Gateshead, to ask if there was anything that they needed. She dropped out a carload of goodies for both staff and residents, including sweets, biscuits, hand creams, fruit juice and chocolate.

Carole Foster, the General Manager at Winton Court, said: “Thank you so much to Stephanie and Northern Gas Networks for donating exactly the sorts of treats that our residents enjoy, and the hand cream for our carers. Lockdown can make care home residents and staff feel cut off from the outside world, but gestures such as this really give everyone a boost.”

Winlaton is the area of Gateshead where Northern Gas Networks is carrying out the HyDeploy project. HyDeploy is demonstrating how by blending 20 per cent hydrogen into the existing gas supply, climate-changing carbon emissions from heating can be reduced. Later this year, 670 homes in Winlaton will receive blended hydrogen as part of this innovative project.

When delivering donations, our colleagues always follow the Government’s guidelines around social distancing and don’t enter the properties. Donations are left with staff or on care home doorsteps.

Since the start of the coronavirus lockdown, NGN has extended its volunteering programme for staff, enabling them to combine their day jobs with volunteering work with local charities, or delivering donations to care homes, hospice and customer who are self isolating or shielding others at home.