More than 50 gift bags packed with hats, gloves, socks, underwear and other essentials will help support local homeless people this winter.

The donations have been made by kind-hearted members of the public and employees from Sherwood Forest Hospitals Trust to its Street Health Outreach Team – a specialist team that supports people who are rough sleeping with their complex physical health needs.

As well as winter warmers, the gift bags also contained toiletries and a selection of sweets and chocolates that will be distributed to homeless people living in Mansfield and Newark.

The appeal has been supported by a generous donation from Medirest’s (Compass Group UK) Social Value Initiative Fund to support the project.

<strong><em>
TOP: Rob Winfield (Contract Director, Compass Group) with King’s Mill Hospital volunteers Marlene (left) and Jill. Volunteers supported by donating items and making up gift bags.</em></strong>

That funding will also enable Sherwood Forest Hospitals to restock its clothing supplies at King’s Mill, Mansfield Community, and Newark Hospitals.

Those supplies are used for a range of purposes, including to maintain the privacy and dignity of patients during their time in hospital and for supporting them to return home when they are ready to leave hospital.

A share of the donated boxes of food and toiletries have also been distributed to food banks in Mansfield and Newark to support local families this Christmas.

<img src=”https://newarknewsjournal.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Street-Health-Liz-225×300.jpg” alt=”” width=”225″ height=”300″ class=”alignnone size-medium wp-image-30324″ />
<strong>Liz Franklin, lead chaplain at Sherwood Forest Hospitals, accepting donations for distribution to the Warm Hub and Salvation Army at Newark. </strong>

<img src=”https://newarknewsjournal.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/Sherwood-Food-Bank-300×225.jpg” alt=”” width=”300″ height=”225″ class=”alignnone size-medium wp-image-30323″ />
<strong>Sherwood Forest Food Bank collecting donations.</strong>