Housewares agent Geraldine Finnan fundraised over £8,000 and created over 400 ‘Hampers for Helpers’ to thank the NHS staff that saved her husband’s life. Geraldine is an agent for Robert Welch Designs, The DRH Collection and Ulster Weavers. Housewares retailers and suppliers rallied to donate funds for the gift hampers.
Earlier this year, Geraldine’s husband Paul Finnan was critically ill with Covid-19, spending time on a ventilator at Birmingham Heartlands Hospital, and then at the Queen’s Medical Centre, Nottingham. While Paul was in a coma, Geraldine and her family launched a fundraising appeal to recognise the huge efforts of NHS staff.
“The countless doctors, nurses and carers have been doing an amazing job while risking their lives every day, and we wanted to find a way to shine light on their efforts,” explained Geraldine, who designed luxury gift hampers filled with products from small local independent businesses. Due to a fantastic response, the Finnans raised their fundraising goals to be able to thank many more NHS staff members.
“We created 400 hampers for all those who worked across ICU at Heartlands, QMC and Nottingham City Hospitals as well as some for the paramedic teams – all of the NHS staff that cared not only for Paul but thousands of others,” reported Geraldine, who has appeared on Midlands tv news with her hamper success story.
“Thank you so much to everyone who donated to our cause and made this lovely thing possible. We’ve had a wonderful response from NHS staff on receiving the hampers and knowing how much we appreciate their work.”
Top: The ‘hampers for helpers’ came with a ‘Thank you for saving me from Covid-19’ message from Paul Finnan, husband of housewares agent Geraldine Finnan.
* Geraldine is the Midlands and North West sales agent for CKS, The DRH Collection, Forma House, The Kitchenware Co, Robert Welch Designs and Ulster Weavers.
