There With You: Hospitals receive thousands of hot food donations from businesses and cricket stars

King George, Queen’s Hospitals and NHS Nightingale have received kind donations of hot meals from businesses to help them during the coronavirus pandemic.

Doctors, nurses and other staff are working long unsociable hours to provide the best care for their patients during the coronavirus outbreak, and Idris Patel from Supporting Humanity has quickly set up a supply chain with businesses Saffron Kitchen, Gafoor Poultry, Eman Channel (BME businesses).

They have produced, packed and delivered around 1,800 hot meals to all the frontline staff in 14 hospitals across London.

Lint Group managing director Rizwan Patel also decided to start an appeal to raise funds and within 24 hours they had enough to cover all the meals for the months ahead.

“This year will surely go down in history, not just for the Covid-19 pandemic, but for the many ways in which people are choosing to stand together, join forces and supporting each other,” Rizwan Patel said.

“We owe it to the NHS staff who have gone and going above and beyond in taking care of us, it’s our turn to ensure that they keeping as strong as possible and in good health to fight everyday this battle that looks as if it’s here to stay for the foreseeable future.

“On my visit this week, the whole operation, delivering the hot food to Queens Hospital and seeing the efforts of the staff, you could feel the tense pressure the A&E department was under and this felt like the true front line.

“So, what we are doing is so little but means a whole lot to those front line staff with doctors and nurses coming to say thank you, it was moving.

“Let’s not forget the people that are making this happen the volunteers that are also risking themselves by visiting these hospitals when they don’t need to be there.

“The comradery of these fine people is infectious and what great spirit they have, last but not least Farhaan from Saffron Kitchen you are a gem of the community, well done all.”

Essex Cricket team have also been helping out in the kitchen and to deliver the hot meals.

Essex star Tom Westley said: “It is really important that we go into and help where it’s both safe and possible. The key workers have been doing an amazing job, so if we can support them in anyway, we will.”