Clarke Carlisle has thanked NHS workers from the bottom of his heart as part of our Thank You Week at the trust.
The former professional footballer thanked all staff working for the Trust, with special commendation for those working in mental health services.
We are honouring our workforce of over 7,000 during a week-long celebration (10 to 14 May), to thank them for their incredible work during the Covid pandemic.
The event will also mark Mental Health Week and International Nurses’ Day, highlighting the importance of supporting those who work so hard to care for others.
Clarke said:
“I want to say thank you to every single one of you working for the Lancashire & South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust.
I know people are acknowledging what you’re doing now, it’s almost as though they think you’ve just started to work hard, but you have been synonymous with my journey from 2017 and I know that you’ve been working incredibly hard for decades.
Whether it was at Blackburn hospital, where I was in psychiatric care, or the fantastic workers at Strand House in Preston with my outpatient care and my therapy and counselling – what you’re doing on a daily basis is changing lives and helping people like me to become well, and stay well.
I thank you from the bottom of my heart.”
We have a planned week of appreciation, including:
- Personalised thank you cards
- Goodie bag deliveries to many of its sites across Lancashire and South Cumbria
- Thank yous from celebrities including Kym Marsh, Denise Welch and Bradley Dack, among others
Caroline Donovan, Chief Executive of Lancashire and South Cumbria NHS Foundation Trust, added:
“The incredible work our staff do across Lancashire and South Cumbria every day should be commended, but especially now due to the challenges which came with the pandemic.
Our community nurses, inpatient teams, therapists, medics, domestics, admin workers and so many more, have been on the frontline throughout the last 12 months, and it is vitally important that we recognise the way they have risen to this challenge.
Their hard work is appreciated by so many across Lancashire and South Cumbria.”
Clarke continued:
“I can’t imagine what it’s been like this last year, having to try and generate that empathetic touch with people through layers of PPE, through your own health anxieties with Covid on the loose. Let me tell you – you are life savers, you are life changers, and I am just honoured to have been in your care and to be a product of your care.
Please keep going, thank you.”
To help raise awareness during Mental Health Awareness Week (10-16 May), we are urging anyone in a mental health crisis, or needing advice for a loved one, to call our Mental Health Crisis line on 0800 953 0110, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
In addition, Mindsmatter, a community and wellbeing service, run by the Trust, that works to support people with stress, anxiety and depression is urging people in the community to utilise its self-referral service and gain access to tools and mental health professionals who can offer help.
