Graham Gooch helps fuel the frontline with generous donation of hot meals | News and events

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Graham Gooch helps fuel the frontline with generous donation of hot meals

A former cricket star has helped to fuel the frontline with a generous donation of hot meals for staff at The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust.

Renowned batsman Graham Gooch (pictured - credit: Nick Wood - Unshaken Photography), who excelled for both Essex and England during a career spanning more than two decades, visited The Princess Alexandra Hospital as part of Essex County Cricket Club’s generous philanthropic efforts on Wednesday, 22 April (pictured making the donation, below).

Graham Gooch making the donation.

The hot meals were made for intensive care unit (ICU) staff at hospitals across the county and in London by charity Supporting Humanity. The charity, based at Saffron Kitchen in Leyton, is expanding each week and now making 1,700 meals per day to donate.

Graham said: “I’m delighted to be part of the Club’s outreach campaign and it’s fantastic to see the inspirational work that charities such as Supporting Humanity are doing.

“The Club are trying to do our own bit to help the hospitals and the NHS, and it’s been a privilege to deliver food for the staff.

“The key workers are doing a fantastic job. Everyone in the community in east London, Essex and across the country are really appreciative for all they are doing for people in need at this terrible time – they deserve a medal, all of them.”

John Keddie, non-executive director at PAHT, who chairs The Princess Alexandra Hospitals’ Charity, said: “It is wonderful to see such generosity from our local community.

“We wholeheartedly thank Graham Gooch and the Essex County Cricket Club team for choosing to bring some hot meals as an extra boost for our hard-working staff.”

Notes to editors:

  • Please credit the photo of Graham Gooch at the awards evening to Nick Wood - Unshaken Photography

The Princess Alexandra Hospitals’ Charity supports patients, people and visitors at The Princess Alexandra Hospital, St Margaret's Hospital and Herts and Essex Hospital. The charity enhances patient care, purchases special equipment, improves facilities and invests in vital research that supports patients now and into the future. For more information about The Princess Alexandra Hospitals’ Charity, please go to: https://www.pah.nhs.uk/charity

Notes to editors:

The Princess Alexandra Hospital NHS Trust was established in April 1995 and provides services at the Princess Alexandra Hospital in Harlow, the Herts and Essex Hospital in Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping. We have an annual income of around £236,700 million. We have 414 general and acute beds at the Princess Alexandra Hospital and provide a full range of general acute services, including a 24/7 emergency department, an intensive care unit, a maternity unit and a neonatal intensive care unit (NICU). We also provide outpatient and diagnostic services from the Herts and Essex Hospital, Bishop’s Stortford, and St Margaret’s Hospital in Epping.

We employ around 3,500 staff and serve a local population of about 350,000 people living in West Essex and East Hertfordshire, centred on the M11 corridor and the towns of Harlow, Bishop’s Stortford and Epping. Our extended catchment area incorporates a population of up to 500,000 and includes the areas of Hoddesdon, Cheshunt and Broxbourne in Hertfordshire.

In October 2019, the Government announced that we are to receive funding to rebuild a new hospital in Harlow for our patients, community and people. The details around the funding and the timeframe are currently being finalised and we are completing our business case for the new hospital.

Inpatient comment:

Everyone offered words of such reassurance and kindness. I felt so cared for and the communication with me at all times was fantastic.

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