Soroptimist Region Cheshire, North Wales & Wirral
Region Soroptimists in action, and working in many different ways during these difficult times of Lockdown.
Some of our members are working on the frontline – read their stories below on this page #SoroptimistFrontlineWork
Many of our members are in action at home making useful items to support the NHS and also making craft items to raise funds – read #SoroptimistsWorkAtHome – Please click here for stories
All Region clubs are working in different ways to support their members, and thinking up ways to communicate with each other read #SoroptimistSupportInLockdown – Please click here for stories
Clubs have conducted AGM Meetings and Chats virtually – Please click here for stories
#SoroptimistFrontlineWork
SI Rhyl & District
Member of our Club Michaela, is a Sister in ICU in Glan Clwyd Hospital.
We are all so proud of her, she is doing a grand job and is so positive. Michaela says:
“We’re lucky to have such a good intensive care and a fabulous team, we look after each other. We have lots of PPE, hopefully that will remain the case! I feel very safe in work.
Can’t wait to see all my club members again after all this stay safe”.
SI Bebington
Four members of SI Bebington work for the NHS. One member is a nurse in the special baby care unit at Arrowe Park Hospital, another is a physiotherapist, and one member works at St John’s Hospice. Member and Region Safeguarding Officer Barbara Myers is a pharmacist – please read her story
WORKING AS A PHARMACIST DURING COVID-19:
Community pharmacy teams are on the frontline in providing medicines and health advice to many people but there have been multiple challenges of late. Patients are being grateful and appreciative of the work and hours we are doing to ensure their medication is dispensed and delivere
Our working practices have changed and due to long hours there is now flexibility in place to allow community pharmacies to regulate their hours. By closing during set periods of each day we can catch up on dispensing prescriptions and give advice over the phone.
I work for “Boots” and they are now creating “Safe Space” for domestic abuse victims seeking help during the pandemic.
Victims of domestic abuse will be able to seek help in our pharmacies – the consultation room will serve as the safe space so they can access support needed.
The Victim’s Commissioner Dame Vera Baird who spoke at our last Regional meeting had called for more creative thinking on how to help victims during lockdown.
As Regional Safeguarding Officer I welcomed the new measures particularly when presently options for victims are more limited than usual and pharmacies can provide the safe environment needed to get support. Please read Full Barbara Myers Report
SI Ellesmere Port
Rita Lewis member of SI Ellesmere Port is a founder member and volunteer at The Port Grocery CIC – an Ellesmere Port charity that has been helping some of the most vulnerable people during the outbreak. The charity has just received £45,730 from the Steve Morgan Foundation and is carrying out some amazing work tackling food waste and food poverty.They have recruited an army of volunteer drivers and are delivering emergency food boxes direct to people’s homes – The boxes contain everything from fresh meat and fish, vegetables, cereals, bread and fruit.
They are also delivering much appreciated food to hard working frontline staff, read Rita Lewis’s account of a typical Day: =- “So after our Trip to Pizza Hut and the lovely Amanda at Sealand making the special Pizzas we hopped on the Motorway to Intensive Care Unit at Arrowe Park Hospital ward Sister Karen agreed the HARD WORKING STAFF needed a pick me up .. so as well as pizza we delivered cakes 🍰 , crisp , Easter 🐣 eggs, sausage rolls, hotel chocolate 🍫 special chocolates and lots of fresh fruit 🍇 from Marks and Spencer’s Costco and all our other wonderful suppliers .. guys you are amazing we thank you from the bottom of our hearts 💕
SI Nantwich & District
Kathryn Lewis, Region Development Officer, and member of SI Nantwich & District has sent in this piece about what it’s like for her working on the frontline. Kathryn manages NHS Hearing Services across South Manchester
When the restrictions set in we had to close all outpatient clinics and have some training for redeployment. We had to keep some of the service still functioning as hearing aids need batteries and repairs. We have a system for postal batteries and repairs and we leave a box with slips to fill in for our patients to drop off and collect hearing aids. The only people we are still carrying out hearing assessments for are those who are about to commence on cancer treatments.
We started to think of different ways we could still connect with patients. We had been using Skype to help patients with rehabilitation for tinnitus and balance problems so have been looking at more secure platforms to carry out virtual clinics. We have been telephoning many of those who had or were waiting for appointments before we had to close the doors. Have now started to programme hearing aids and post them out with lots of written advice and then following up to see if they are managing ok. This is still a developing part of the service and something we can continue afterwards.
I have been redeployed for 2 days a week In a command centre for the Trust. This entails pulling together all the information daily on the number of patients in wards, those who have and don’t have Covid19. We look at the sad issues such as number of deaths and mortuary capacity- this is to ensure that we raise issues and move things around if needed. There are 2 reports a day that go to the Executive teams. We also report any PPE or drug problems.
My team go through emotional ups and downs and obviously with the uncertainty, we do not know what is still ahead; the team support helps everyone with this. Please read here full Kathryn Lewis Report
SI South Caernarfonshire
A member from the club is involved in professional counselling with adolescents suffering from trauma.
SI Anglesey
Members are actively distributing food and prescriptions to those in need in the community. Some members continue to keep contact to vulnerable people in the community that they were supporting in normal times. We have maintained contact with the local Refuge and the homeless charity on the Island and they both know we are available should they need are support and assistance.