A team of staff who provide acute adult mental health inpatient care are recycling waste to raise funds to benefit patients.
Staff on the Osprey Ward at Swallownest Court, which is run by Rotherham Doncaster and South Humber NHS Foundation Trust (RDaSH) have signed up for Terracycle’s free recycling programme and are collecting everyday items to recycle in return for a donation from Terracycle to our Your Hearts and Minds charity of £1 per kilo, which is then used to benefit staff and patients.
RDaSH Pharmacy Technician Kay Towers who helps run the scheme said: “Sometimes our patients arrive in crisis, without some basic necessities such as toiletries, underwear, nightwear and toothbrushes, so we use the money we raise from our recycling to purchase these for them and help make them feel more comfortable.
“So, as well as reducing landfill and helping to reduce waste, we’re supporting vulnerable people in our care.”
She added: “It’s so easy to do as Terracycle outline each different waste stream and once our boxes are full, I send them off via courier, and then twice a year we receive our funding, which can be spent by anyone who works on the ward”.
“We record all of our transactions and so far, we’ve recycled 584kg of waste, which means we’ve been able to support lots of people!”
Kay is now hoping to boost her charity fundraising by taking part in the Great North Run in 2025 for the RDaSH Your Hearts and Minds charity, so we wish her all the very best wishes with her fundraising!
Published: November 05, 2024