Thanks to charity donations, Leeds Hospitals Charity has provided over £1 million to support the health and wellbeing of NHS heroes working at Leeds Teaching Hospitals during the coronavirus pandemic.

This included a donation of over £400,000 from the organisation NHS Charities Together, raised by fundraisers all over the country.

As part of this initiative a new Staff Support Chaplain has been recruited to join the Chaplaincy and Spiritual Care team at Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

---

Read more: NHS Charities Together - Our partnership

---

The new Chaplain, Andrea Farley-Moore was appointed in early April and is there to provide holistic support to NHS staff across all eight hospital sites.

Throughout the coronavirus outbreak, many staff have been working long shifts wearing full PPE without an opportunity to have a break, or even a chat to one of their colleagues about how they’re feeling.

---

Read more: NHS Charities Together News

---

Andrea said, “I want staff across our hospitals to feel comfortable to approach me, I’m here to provide support to any staff member regardless of their background, faith and beliefs – even if someone just wants a five-minute chat, I’m here to listen.

This year has affected us all differently, producing a whole range of thoughts and feelings from anger to anxiety, exhaustion to confusion. Some people just feel numb, others feel their deeply held values have been jeopodised during this time. These are all normal responses to abnormal events and it can be helpful to talk them through in a safe space with someone outside your immediate work context. We all need to discover a sense of wellbeing and talking together can help us as we work out what gives us strength.

You don’t need to be feeling at the end of yourself to talk to a chaplain - we are here for the good as well as the challenging times, to uncover hope in the busyness of life, to celebrate the small wins and share the life changing moments.”