A birthday thank you note

Today marks the 73rd birthday of the NHS – as well as NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers Day. Here, a few Folk Features’ favourites give thanks on this special day

Prof Nancy Fontaine is the Chief Nurse at the Norfolk and Norwich University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust:

Paul McCarthy is the General Manager at Chantry Place, Norwich, In April, on Chantry Square, a giant illuminated rainbow was installed, to raise awareness and funds for The Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital:

‘On behalf of all the team at Chantry Place, happy 73^rd birthday NHS. We are so proud of the huge contribution, dedication and commitment of all the NHS during the coronavirus pandemic and all the hard work you do all year round. It is our honour to have a rainbow that has served as a beacon of hope over the last year on Chantry Square to help raise funds and awareness for The Jenny Lind Children’s Hospital. Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do – we celebrate you all.’

Anne-Marie Breach is Communications & Digital Media Officer at James Paget University Hospital:

‘We’ve been celebrating the 73^rd birthday of the NHS today, with our hospital charity hosting a Birthday Party/Big Tea event in our staff restaurant and members of our team taking part in the NHS, Social Care and Frontline Workers Day.

Earlier today there was free tea, coffee and cake for our staff courtesy of generous donations from local supermarkets, who supported our birthday party and the Big Tea event.

We’d like to thank Asda Great Yarmouth and the Co-op for tea and coffee, Morrisons at Gorleston and North Quay, Lowestoft, who are event sponsor of the NHS Big Tea, for cookies and pastries, and, to mark the NHS birthday, our local Tesco stores contributed lots of cakes and our in-house Marks and Spencer’s donated some delicious croissants.

Mayor of Great Yarmouth Borough Sue Hacon came along to our hospital to join the Toast to the Nation at 1pm, which was led on Scafell Pike, England’s highest peak, by the James Paget’s very own Tara Haines. You can read more about Tara’s involvement here.’

Chris Goddard is a cancer survivor and artist who recently presented healthcare staff in Thetford with individual portraits to thank them for their dedication and service during the Covid-19 pandemic:

‘Happy Birthday to our wonderful NHS with huge appreciation for the wonderful care that I have received through the very peak of the 2020/21 Covid Winter, and with the greatest respect for all the health professionals that have worked so hard to look after us all throughout the pandemic.

My awe and gratitude increases daily with all the news reports and documentaries which have  highlighted the  pressures,  exhaustion, stress, low morale and difficult decisions being made daily.  How lucky we are to have our NHS.’

Abbie Panks, an Event and PR Manager based in West Norfolk, has been supporting the NHS on the vaccine rollout:

‘An ENORMOUS thanks goes to all NHS workers past and present, and NHS volunteers for all their ongoing hard work,  and for everything they do to keep the nation healthy whilst also rolling out the biggest vaccination programme in its history. Truly outstanding people and I will always be honoured to have worked alongside them.’

Vandana Khurana is Prevention Program Project Manager, Medicine Division, at the James Paget University Hospital. Her photo book, Awakening with Sunrise, is raising money for four charities, including the James Paget Hospital Charity and Macmillan:

‘NHS’s birthday celebration is a celebration of all our amazing NHS who go above and beyond for us and our loved ones. The JPUH charity has done extensive celebration by hosting tea and cakes today. We need to support the charity to keep doing great job. Thanks to everyone for their generous donations today.

We look forward to your further support of the Awakening with Sunrise photo book which aims to raise Funds for JPUH charity and three other charities. Details on website awakeningwithsunrise.co.uk.’

Jayne Raffles is a hospitality consultant became a catering team leader at the NNUH soon after lockdown began last year:

On the 73rd Birthday of the NHS, we as a nation are proud and eternally grateful to have at our disposal the incredible NHS. Workers have been though the most traumatic and difficult 18 months, on top of the already fantastic work they perform on a daily basis. As a small cog in a massive organisation, working in the catering department over 2020 , seeing the level of care seriously ill patients received is humbling to say the least.’

Gennadiy Ivanov, is an artist whose work, Margarita’s Portrait, recently featured in the Norwich 20 Group’s Annual Exhibition:

‘Happy birthday NHS. This is an important organisation, which is saving our lives. Its people work very hard, day by day and hour by hour.’ 

The NHS Frontline Day has been organised by Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, a Pageantmaster from Gorleston. At 8pm this evening there will be a ‘Clapping our heroes & the ringing of church bells’ event.