2021 has been another difficult year for many and therefore, more so than ever before, it is important that at this time of year we make time for colleagues, friends and family.
This year Alpi UK once again asked their staff to nominate charitable organisations who may have personally helped and supported them or their families through a particularly difficult period of their life.
The staff replied with an abundance of enthusiasm and the chosen charities for Alpi UK’s 2021 Charity Donations were Dementia UK and Maternity Bereavement Trust (Butterfly Unit-Southend, Essex).
Alpi UK chosen employee nominations below.
Dementia UK
“My mum has been suffering with vascular dementia for the last nine years and has been in a care home since February 2018. We took the decision to place her into a care home as her general health was deteriorating and my dad, who was in recovery from bowel cancer, was finding it tough to care for her properly.
Then Covid-19 hit. Our visits dropped to nothing, and my mum’s health plummeted.
In September 2020, we were called to my mum’s bedside to say our goodbyes – but 12 months later, she is still here. She is bedbound 24/7, has no social capacity, and is unable to speak, feed or bathe herself, but she is our little gem. We would love to thank Dementia UK for their continued support.”
Donna Dale, Birmingham
My mum has dementia, and it is so heart-breaking to watch her deteriorate. She has just moved into a care home as her needs are greater than we can support her with, which is very upsetting for her and all the family. I believe more awareness of dementia is needed for the many families who are living with this awful disease.
Paula Bennett, Birmingham
My mum has recently been diagnosed with mixed dementia, and I’ve had to move her into an assisted living home where she has 24/7 care on hand if she needs it. Her condition is progressing quite quickly, and her short-term memory is already deeply affected. Before the lockdown she was perfectly fine, but the lack of stimulation during the pandemic has played a big part in her deterioration. Joanne O’Donoghue, Manchester
Maternity Bereavement Trust
My daughter recently gave birth to a still born in the unit at Southend Hospital. River was born on the 19th of September at Southend Hospital, she was 26 weeks and 5 days. The staff and facilities at Southend Hospital were amazing and we would like to give something back to the baby unit/bereavement suite. We were fortunate enough to be able to spend time with our beautiful granddaughter after her birth thanks to the cold cot the hospital provided us with. Along with the huge support, kindness and empathy shown by the midwives, this made an awful experience a little easier to deal with. The time we spent with River was invaluable and we are so grateful for the cold cot and the clothes provided. The money raised will ideally go towards buying another cold cot for the hospital so that other parents suffering such tragic losses are able to spend some much-needed time with their angel babies or alternatively it will be used to provide extra clothing, supplies for the room and any updates they need to make.
Steve Moore, Basildon