Sherwood Hospitals Trust has come up with an innovative way to reuse hospital items.

More than 360 pairs of crutches and six Zimmer-style walking frames have been sent to Syria and around 2,200 hand towel and 900 toilet roll dispensers have been donated to Zambia thanks to the links that the Trust has formed with volunteer group, Community Help Africa and charity, Hand in Hand for Syria.

Reusing, recycling and remaining sustainable are top priorities for the Trust, which subcontracts all waste management activities to Skanska Waste Management Services. With this in mind, Waste Contract Manager, Samantha Stanhope, thought about how dispensers and other items, which had recently been replaced, could be reused.

She said: “After the Trust replaced all hand towel and toilet roll dispensers, we were left with a large number that could be reused somewhere.

“I researched charities and came across Community Help Africa; a group of dedicated volunteers who aim to help less fortunate people in Africa and the UK achieve their potential through education and training.

“I thought it would be ideal to work with them to see if they could benefit from equipment that the Trust no longer needed.”

The items will now be re-used in hospitals, schools and other buildings in Zambia.

As well as finding a home for the dispensers, the Trust was also recently able to send crutches and walking frames that were no longer required to Syria, with the help of the Hand in Hand For Syria charity, which delivers aid to those living under threat.

Samantha said: “This is just the start of a bigger commitment to re-using our waste. A lot of what comes through as waste can be reused, first and foremost within the Trust.”

Facilities Management Services Manager for the Trust Liz Nicholas said: “We are thrilled that others are able to benefit from the use of equipment that would have otherwise been disposed of. We are very keen to spread the message across our Trust to encourage colleagues to re-use or recycle wherever possible.”

To find out more about the charities that SFH Trust have been involved with, visit www.communityhelpafrica.btck.co.uk or www.handinhandforsyria.org.uk and discover what you can do to help.