Banner Blog

We’d like to shine a light on our Banner teams and colleagues who have been busy helping their communities through the unprecedented time in 2020.

Not only have they been adjusting to the new norm, but they have been going above and beyond to help family, friends and their wider communities up and down the country.

Donating Gloves to the NHS

Emma Casey, from the Banner Health team, has helped to support the Parsons Green Health Centre by donating 300 pairs of gloves. This equipment was sent by MedSupplyDrive UK; who are an organisation that aims to redirect PPE equipment, to frontline NHS workers who need it the most. This donation was made by Banner to support a customer who has been volunteering for MedSupplyDrive UK.

Supporting Communities and Local Small Businesses

Another member of our Banner Health team has also been hard at work helping her community by becoming an NHS Volunteer Responder. The team member has accumulated over 400 hours helping her community, both through the app and on her own.

She is well known in her community and has reached out to spend time talking to and helping those who she knew would most likely need it. As well as this, has organised community quizzes, posted letterbox flyers and kept in touch via emails and WAPP groups to ensure that everyone was involved and knew that there was someone available in case anyone needed support.

“Doing this has opened up opportunities within our community and has brought us all closer together. I wanted to make the most of my time and make a difference. The whole community has also been very conscious about helping the small local businesses, and have got them involved in some of the events we have done like the social distancing VE day street party we threw”

Not only has this team member helped her community, but she continues to support other charities through fundraising and organising events.

Raising Awareness for Parkinson's

Parkinson’s is the fastest growing neurological condition in the world and there is currently no cure, with around 145,000 people living with Parkinson’s in the UK.

Lesley Greenhalgh in our health team has been volunteering with the Crewe and District Group of the Parkinson’s UK charity since 2013. ”The first meeting I attended was the Group AGM and I was elected secretary, sending out emails and letters on behalf of the group. I am also involved in a wide range of fundraising events including quiz nights, bucket collections, garden parties and black-tie evenings.”

As there is no cure for Parkinson’s it is vital that money is raised to fund research. What is as important, however, is to make sure that people who have Parkinson’s and their family and friends have somewhere to turn for support, advice and friendship – so no one has to face Parkinson’s alone. “It is impossible to describe how fantastic it is to speak to someone about Parkinson’s, maybe when doing a bucket collection or giving out leaflets, and realise you have helped them just by being there and letting them know about the charity.”

Parkinson’s is especially important to Lesley as in 1992 her mum was diagnosed with the disease and lived with it for 22 years. Lesley’s mum volunteered with the charity herself, so Parkinson’s has always been a big part of her life. Then a few people with Parkinson’s joined the choir she belonged to because singing is great therapy.

As well as supporting Parkinson’s, Lesley is part of theFunkyChoir.com who regularly sing at nursing homes and local fund-raising events. The choir has supported various charities including St Luke’s Hospice, The Winsford Centre, Royal British Legion, RNLI, Salvation Army, Riding for the Disabled, and Marie Curie as well as Parkinson’s UK.

Parkinson’s UK is always looking for volunteers, either on local Groups or for support on a regional level.  Full details about the charity including volunteering and how to donate can be found at https://www.parkinsons.org.uk/

Donating PPE to Care Homes

The CCS team are thrilled to have supported a customer from West Midlands Police to donate more essential PPE than expected to a local Care Home.

When our customer got in touch with his Banner Account Manager, Eric Mountain, to order face masks for a Care Home in his region, Eric wanted to help.

Eric arranged for the face masks to be donated from Banner, which enabled our customer to buy additional soap and gloves with the money he’d raised.

Donating Supplies to Support a Community Centre Deliver Food to the Vulnerable 

Banner have donated cardboard boxes and minigrip bags to Havercroft and Ryhill Community Centre in Yorkshire, who have been working hard to support their local community. This donation helped the team deliver food to the vulnerable during this challenging time.

Katherine Walker, Havercroft and Ryhill Community Learning Centre said: "Your donation has greatly helped with the struggle of finding bags/boxes to make up the parcels. We now have a good stockpile easy to store and make up with the tape also donated with the pallet of boxes. The sandwich bags you donated are used every day as on average we put together around 20 grab bags providing children with a free lunch.

Once again thank you for your kind donation, it is very much appreciated!"

Helping Family and Friends

Any form of volunteering can benefit a multitude of people, however big or small the act of kindness is. For Ian Dixon this was assisting his friends, family and loved ones who have been placed in the vulnerable category during lockdown.

Since the beginning of lockdown Ian has been collecting prescriptions and doing shopping for his friends and family members, who haven’t been able to go out and do these tasks on their own. This provided a vital form of help and company for those who he was helping, including his 82-year-old aunt who saw this act of kindness as welcome company.

“I had time on my hands and a car sat on my drive. It just seemed an easy way to help. Just saying ‘hello’ to a stranger can give you a lift and be welcome to those people too.”

Ian also signed up to be an NHS Volunteer Responder but hadn’t received any jobs via the app. However, Ian continues to volunteer and help where he can within his community and with his friends and family.

NHS Volunteer Responder 

Lynn Page is another amazing example of how Banner staff have been helping their communities while staying safe at home.

Lynn signed up to be an NHS Volunteer Responder during lockdown and so far, has accumulated over 213 hours of volunteering. As an NHS Responder Lynn has been available to make and receive phone calls, to vulnerable and isolated individuals who need help or would just like someone to talk to.

“Signing up to be an NHS Volunteer Responder was my daughter’s idea. I wanted to help because I live on my own, so appreciate how it might be for someone who is unable to go out.”

Previously Lynn has also volunteered with the NSPCC and continues to volunteer within her community.