Meet the people shopping for food banks and buying PPE for hospices

From shopping for food banks to providing protective visors for hospices, The Rotary Club of Stoke-on-Trent has stepped up to help wherever it can during the pandemic.

Monthly cash donations have been made to The Hubb Foundation and Stoke-on-Trent Food Banks, and rotary members have been shopping to buy items for other good causes.

Club secretary David Woolrich has been out using club funds to buy long life food and hygiene products then delivering them where they're needed.

The Nappy project and Holy Trinity Church in Harthill have each received a monthly delivery from David, which he says will continue for as long as needed and club funds allow.

David said: "We quickly realised that we should be focusing on helping those who are in turn helping people in a very poor state. The Nappy Project gives us a shopping list and we go out and buy items that they need.

"Similarly the Holy Trinity Church tells us what they need - be that soap, shampoo or tinned food - and we go out and get it for them.

"The Hubb Foundation is also doing such a fantastic job for people in a poor state and also some key workers who are on low incomes."

The club bought 400 visors and shared them out between care facilities including West Croft Nursing in Hanley, Stadium Court in Cobridge, New Lodge in Lightwood Road, Wilbraham House in Audley, Holly Lodge in Werrington, The Douglas Macmillan Hospice and The Hollies in Hanley.

David said: "We were trying to help the people who had been missed, the little places that might not have any PPE at all. People know about the two large hospices in the area but there are so many little places doing similar things that don't necessarily have people fundraising for them."

Now the Rotary Club of Stoke-on-Trent has been nominated for an Our Heroes Award, in the community group of the year category, for its ongoing support of the people of North Staffordshire during the pandemic.

The club, which was formed in 1927, has a long history of supporting good causes across the city and the wider area.

Recent projects have included paying for sanitary products and spare clothing for high schools so that girls don't miss out on schooling due to having a period.

David added: "A lot of education is missed by these youngsters. Having spare clothing in schools works really well. Schools hand out what we provide for them and then when it's all gone we top it up. We've been doing it for a couple of years now."

If you would like to nominate someone for an Our Heroes Award send the details to jennifer.amphlett@reachplc.com with 'Our Heroes' in the subject box.