Royal Voluntary Service’s Home from Hospital service in Bassetlaw, is delighted to announce it has bagged £3,900.00 from Tesco’s Bags of Help community grant scheme. Voting ran in stores throughout February 2018, with customers choosing which local project they would like to get the top award using a token given to them at the checkout. Royal Voluntary Service successfully secured the top award after receiving the most customer votes in the Tesco store in Worksop.
The funding will be used to create hampers packed with essential food items to help welcome older people in Bassetlaw home after their stay in hospital. Designed to last 24 hours, the hampers will contain simple meals that require little equipment or energy to prepare.
Royal Voluntary Service has been providing the Home from Hospital service in Bassetlaw for many years, helping older people get back on their feet after a stay in hospital. Royal Voluntary Service’s volunteers help patients make the smooth transition back into home life — from making checks on their home to ensure it is safe to return to, settling them back in. Volunteers will make regular visits for up to eight weeks and provide practical support with everyday tasks such as collecting shopping or prescriptions, helping them attend medical appointments, or looking after a pet.
Clara Taylor, service manager for Royal Voluntary Service’s Bassetlaw Home from Hospital, said: “For many older people, returning home after a long stay in hospital can be daunting; and the idea of returning home to empty cupboards even more so. Thank you to all of the Tesco customers who voted for us. These hampers will make the return home that little bit easier for so many people. We will continue to work closely with Bassetlaw Hospital to ensure these hampers are always available for patients who would benefit from our support, helping them to get home sooner and relieve the pressure on beds within the NHS.”
Bags of Help is run in partnership with environmental charity Groundwork, and sees grants raised from the sale of carrier bags awarded to thousands of local community projects every year. Since launching in 2015, it’s provided more than £52 million to over 16,000 local community projects. Funding is available to community groups and charities looking to fund local projects that bring benefits to communities. Anyone can nominate a project and organisations can apply online. To find out more visit www.tesco.com/bagsofhelp.
To find out more about volunteering with Royal Voluntary Service, contact Community Services Manager, Clara Taylor on clara.taylor@royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk or visit www.royalvoluntaryservice.org.uk.