A VOLUNTEER group spear-headed by a grieving British-Chinese Worcestershire patient has donated thousands of pounds worth of visors for NHS Trust frontline staff and across the UK, to support them during the Covid-19 pandemic.
ProjectTOM was founded by WaiLo Li, a Trust patient with multiple chronic conditions resulting in constant excruciating and debilitating pain.
However now the ‘ProjectTOM x 3P Innovation’ partnership has provided nearly 1,000 personal protective equipment visors, worth around £5,000, to Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust, which has Worcestershire Royal Hospital, Alexandra Hospital and Kidderminster Hospital plus Evesham Community Hospital and, with more en route, it is the partnership’s largest donation for any NHS Trust.
The partnership has also provided more than 3,300 high-quality PPE visor guard donations across the UK to GP surgeries, clinics, carers, police, schools, nursing homes, hospices, crematoriums, as well as charitable organisations and volunteers helping to battle Covid-19.
Everything has been engineered and produced in the UK.
ProjectTOM volunteers across the country have been engaging in acts of kindness in response to the pandemic; leaving ‘thank you’ notes for unsung heroes, essential workers, providing hundreds of home-cooked meals and care packages for the NHS, elderly and vulnerable out-of-pocket, as well launching an online petition against racism in light of increased hate crimes against East Asians in the UK since the Coronavirus outbreak.
Born in British-Hong Kong, raised in Worcestershire, and having worked all over the world, Ms WaiLo Li, who has co-ordinated the project despite living with constant pain and bereavement herself, said: “We have asked everyone to start with their own networks wherever they might be in the world.
“Everyone can do something – no act of kindness is too small. This has been a true team effort – we’re all simply part of the #GlobalCOVIDVolunteersArmy.
“Massive thanks to all those that contributed in the battle against Covid-19 – from manufacturers to pro-bono couriers, our amazing volunteers, as well as those who support our online anti-racism campaign; calling for people to ‘Be Kind – Be An Ally’ and stand up to bullies.”
She added: “ProjectTOM is a voluntary, unfunded, grassroot #ActsOfKindness non-profit group since 2008 – where everyone is unpaid, donates their spare time and effort on top of their full-time jobs or studies – has raised over £47,000 for charitable causes both at home and abroad with over 71,300 beneficiaries.
“Huge thanks to the #GlobalCOVIDVolunteersArmy including for their pro-bono distribution; SSC Visor Bikes, Midland Freewheelers volunteers, Warwickshire Visor Bikes and Orbital Direct couriers.”
Matthew Hopkins, Chief Executive of Worcestershire Acute Hospitals NHS Trust said: “We are extremely grateful to WaiLo and ProjectTOM for this incredibly generous donation of PPE.
“This is a huge morale boost for our staff who are working day in day out to provide the best possible care for our patients.”
If the public or local businesses would like support the Trust with donations, email: [email protected] or call 01562 888669 or go to www.wahcharity.org. If you would like to donate directly to the emergency appeal visit: www.justgiving.com/campaign/helpworcsacute
