Our brilliant NHS staff could do with a decent cup of coffee, so let's buy them one.
Hardly any NHS wards have an espresso machine.
Most have got one of those industrial tubs of instant, but we know they'd massively appreciate something that tastes better (we've asked). It isn't the biggest thing they need, granted. But this is something that's easy to help with.
In late March 2020, we were moved by an appeal on the radio from a London based ICU doctor, who said that a kettle or a coffee machine donated to their ward would be great boost to their morale.
So, we set up this website in April 2020 to encourage members of the public sponsor a ward by donating an espresso machine and a supply of capsules to NHS staff working hard through the pandemic.
Nurses and doctors working in critical care wards cannot access a staff room for a quick break during their long shift, so they generally make do with a kettle, tea bags and an industrial tub of instant coffee granules (paid from their own staff kitty, not the hospital).
But we know they'd massively appreciate something that tastes better (we've asked). It isn't the biggest thing they need, granted. But this is something that's easy to help with.
Donations to NHS hospitals to this day have reached over 1,000 brand new coffee machines as well as capsules, bags of roast and ground coffee, ready to drink americano and espresso coffee cans, filter coffee and plenty of coffee filters, to make almost 2 million cups of coffee. But many more machines and coffee are needed for our NHS heroes, throughout the country.
What you can do:
1. Contact your local NHS Trust charity and offer to send them a machine and some capsules for one of their wards.
This link from NHS Charities together, lists most of the hospital charities in the country
https://www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk/meet-our-members/
2. Purchase one (or more machines) and some capsules from an online retailer like John Lewis or Nespresso. We'll leave those details up to you. Use the hospital address you have been given for the delivery. Don't go to the hospital yourself: they won't be able to accept it.
3. When your order is confirmed, send an email to [email protected] , so we can monitor what's being donated and publish your name on the website by way of thanks. Not that you probably want thanks. But thanks all the same.
4. Plan to make further regular orders of capsules to your selected hospital.
If you live around London, this site page shows the charities of the main NHS Trusts within the M25, where you can directly send a machine and pods. The charity will then make sure it goes to a ward that needs it the most.
If you can’t afford to donate a machine, consider ordering some capsules. Any donation, however small, will make a difference to our nurses and doctors.
Over to you. We clapped for our NHS heroes in the Spring of 2020, now you can click and sponsor a ward with your purchase and donation of a machine and some capsules for a critical care ward near you.
Barking, Havering and Redbridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust
Croydon Health Services NHS Trust
Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust
Kingston Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
London North West University Healthcare NHS Trust
North Middlesex University Hospital NHS Trust
Royal Free London NHS Foundation Trust
St George's University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
University College London Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Mid and South Essex Hospitals
Barts Health NHS Trust
Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Dartford and Gravesham NHS Trust
Gateshead Health
Guy's and St Thomas' NHS Foundation Trust
King's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Lewisham and Greenwich NHS Trust
Moorfields Eye Hospital NHS Foundation Trust
Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust
Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust
The Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Whittington Health NHS Trust
If you're in an NHS trust that's not on our list and you'd like it to be added (or if you're not in the NHS but you know of a trust that isn't listed), please tell us. Just send an email to [email protected], with a contact name and email address for them , and we will have the information up on the site in the time it takes to make some seriously impressive latte art.
About us:
We don’t work for the coffee industry
We just thought our NHS heroes might like proper coffee. At the start of the pandemic, we asked lots of nurses and doctors in critical care wards around London and everyone said yes please, a machine would be great! So, we sent out some machines and capsules, and they seemed really pleased. So now it’s your turn.
Ed, Tom, Ana, Caroline, Frances & Amy
[email protected]
Thank you to all these wonderful people and organisations who made generous donations or who helped us to get the campaign going.
