THE captain of Burnley FC visited a Lancashire hospital on Friday to spend a day with staff and see the impact of donations by Premier League players to NHS Charities Together.
Centre back Ben Mee, 32, met staff, patients and volunteers on the visit to Royal Bolton Hospital two years on from the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic which pushed the NHS to the limit.
Mee and his Turf Moor team-mates were part of the Premier League's Players Together initiative, where professional footballers came together to donate part of their salary to the NHS Charities Together Covid-19 Urgent Appeal.
Launched by Liverpool's Jordan Henderson, and also supported by England and Scotland's women's teams, it raised millions of pounds to support NHS hospital charities across the country, including in Lancashire.
Of the cash, £327,600 was allocated to Our Bolton NHS Charity at Bolton NHS Foundation Trust, where it helped fund 17 new staff welfare facilities to allow staff space to relax, rest and reflect.
Following the intense and continuing pressure the Covid-19 pandemic brought, on top of existing pressure on staff, more than two thirds of NHS staff nationally have reported a mental health condition in the past two years, including depression, post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety.
They supported us and reassured us and I can’t thank them enough. I’ll never forget what they did for our family - Ben Mee, Burnley FC captain
The Trust has also introduced a 'Caring for Yourself' programme using the funding to equip staff with skills to look after their mental health as they continue to work on the frontline caring for ill and vulnerable patients.
On the visit, Ben Mee said: “I am so grateful to meet the incredible staff at Royal Bolton Hospital and it’s been fantastic to see the positive impact funding is making so far.
"I know from my own personal experience, with my daughter Olive being born prematurely at 24 weeks, that it was the staff at that hospital who got us through.
"They supported us and reassured us – even at the peak of the pandemic when they were under such immense pressure themselves – and I can’t thank them enough. I’ll never forget what they did for our family.
“It’s clear to see that for staff, the pandemic has been relentless, and they continue to work under high levels of pressure whilst only just beginning to process the trauma they’ve been through.
"We have to care for them like they care for us and continue to support them for the long term.”
Ellie Orton OBE, chief executive of NHS Charities Together, added: “The staff at the Royal Bolton Hospital have been incredible over the past two years, giving patients the utmost care and dedication during an overwhelmingly challenging time.
“We are so thankful for Ben’s involvement, and it’s wonderful to be able to show him the difference that fundraising makes to NHS staff and the patients they care for."
On the visit Ben Mee met Neal Ashurst, who has been helped by the funding from NHS Charities Together.
Usually an Operating Department Practitioner in the Theatres department, he was redeployed to Critical Care to help care for patients with Covid-19.
Mr Ashurst said: “Meeting Ben has been a real morale boost for all of us at the hospital. It’s hard to believe it’s been over two years since the beginning of the pandemic.
"Like many members of staff, I personally struggled with my mental health during the pandemic. The wellbeing support programme helped to support me through some really challenging times."
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