A Nottinghamshire funeral firm has handed over £500 to help an East Midlands charity survive the coronavirus outbreak – just days after it took delivery of vital PPE clothing from two kind-hearted local firms.
Gillotts Funeral Directors says that it has been both a giver and a receiver within a week, as organisations across the country pull together to help each other get through the current crisis.
The company, which runs five funeral homes, in Eastwood, Kimberley, Selston, Stapleford and Heanor, made a donation to Treetops Hospice Care in Risley, which issued a dire warning about its future last month because of the effect the lockdown was having on its fundraising efforts.
Gillotts has previously raised funds for the hospice through its Christmas appeal and Joanne Hutsby, a partner in the firm, said that it wanted to help the charity to survive.
READ MORE: Funeral directors Gillotts hands out donations to local charities
But she said that Gillotts has also benefitted from the generosity of others, after two companies, Midlands Asbestos Solutions and Alert Electricals, both based in Ilkeston, donated much-needed coveralls and face masks for Gillotts’ staff working during the outbreak.
Firms across the funeral industry have been busy sourcing PPE clothing in order to provide protection for staff retrieving and transporting people who have died from the coronavirus, contributing to a national shortage.
Gillotts had already put plans in place, but when the companies went onto social media saying that they had PPE to spare, it got in touch. It now expects to have enough equipment, including latex gloves, to see it through the pandemic.
READ MORE: It’s a joint celebration for Gillotts as Kelly and Paul pick up their funeral diplomas
Ms Hutsby said: “The entire funeral industry is now ready to play its role in this nationwide crisis, but we all have a responsibility to ensure that our staff have all the protection they need in order to carry out their duties.
“Thanks to the generosity of Midlands Asbestos Solutions and Alert Electricals, we have everything we need in order to ensure that they can do so in safety and without anxiety.
“The whole country seems to be pulling together during the coronavirus outbreak, which is why we also wanted to make a contribution to Treetops Hospice Care, whose value to the people and families it works with each year is immeasurable.”
Julie Heath, chief executive of Treetops Hospice Care, said: “We want to say a huge thanks to Gillotts Funeral Directors for their kind donation.
“Support from local businesses and the local community is really appreciated during these difficult times and it ensures we can continue to provide Hospice at Home nursing care during the coronavirus pandemic.
“This donation will mean we can provide five more nights of end-of-life care by our devoted nurses who are caring for terminally-ill patients in their own homes.”
