The need for us all to work together to achieve a common goal has arguably not been this great in our country for many years and, alongside adhering to Government guidelines by staying at home, many people in our wonderful town have been getting involved in some incredibly selfless projects.
Whilst we appreciate you will be unable to support all, or even some, of the fantastic work done by people in our very own Rotherham, we at least want to make you aware of the various acts of kindness on display to hopefully bring some sunshine to these tough times in which we are living.
Below are stories from two households in the town trying to make a difference in our fight to overcome the COVID-19 outbreak…
Janet and Graham Truman providing free PPE for local front line workers
The contagious nature of the coronavirus has been well-documented and of course, the current Government lockdown measures have been put in place in an attempt to prevent an acceleration in its spread.
However, those on the front line are unable to necessarily avoid coming into contact with people who have contracted the virus.
With that in mind, local couple Janet and Graham Truman have taken to producing personal protective equipment (PPE) using their 3D printer at home, in an attempt to give our ‘key workers’ the tools they need in their day-to-day jobs.
The couple are able to produce 290 visors per week and have purchased 50 face masks to date and have orders from Rotherham Hospital, the Northern General Hospital, Ackroyd Nursing Home, Rotherham Primary Care Trust and Rotherham Community Health Centre which they are currently looking to fulfil.
The work that Janet and Graham are doing is entirely out of kindness and they are not making any money from their efforts.
They have however, with the help of lifelong Millers fan and family member Paul Sheppard, been in touch with us to see if we are able to raise the profile of the fantastic work they are doing, and of course, we were happy to oblige.
The couple have set up a fundraising page to ensure that they can continue to meet the needs of our local organisations.
Should you wish to help them in continuing to supply our front line workers you can donate here:
https://www.facebook.com/donate/643473449807122/
Away day travel provider Cawthorne’s trade footy fan passengers for NHS ‘key workers’
We’re all missing the football, there is no doubt about it, but until it is safe for it to return we must be patient.
Millers fans may well be familiar with the name Cawthorne’s Travel from many an away trip in the past. The local company regularly get Rotherham United fans from A to B on an away matchday.
However, with football suspended indefinitely and all other non-essential travel off the agenda, Managing Director James Cawthorne has incredibly selflessly taken the decision to collect and drop off members of our NHS free of charge using his coach company.
Initially advertising the free service on the company’s Facebook page, the NHS staff have responded gratefully and while James is still able to use a mini bus at present, there are plans to upgrade to larger coaches as more interest gathers to ensure the staff are able to safely practice social distancing on their commute.
The service is FREE to NHS workers struggling to get into work, but of course, this is coming at a cost to Cawthorne’s Travel, who currently have no paid work of their own.
If there are any Millers fans who would like to donate to ensure that James is able to continue his brilliant work, they can donate here:
https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/cawthornes?utm_id=1&utm_term=7NwwpDz66