Submitted by Linda
- Last year was a struggle to have somewhere to sit and eat lunch as there is limited space at Parkview, we often had to eat lunch at our desk. Love Your Hospital provided us with a patio set which was gratefully received and gave everyone a boost. We enjoyed the last part of the summer with our new furniture that we can now use for many years to come.
- Everyone’s morale was running a bit low by the end of the year and the usual department Christmas celebrations were going to be quite different if any at all. I have lovely memories of trying to lift everyone’s spirits by organising the ‘office party’, which I knew it was going to be a big challenge due to the restrictions in place.
- I set to work and had a great fun by making a Research and Development post box so that we could put donations of our chosen charities in an envelope instead of a ‘Secret Santa’. We raised £175 in total and two charities were the lucky recipients who were picked at random. I also used my creative skills to make an advent calendar so that everyone could bring a treat for all to share.To round the year off I created a ‘You’re a Christmas Star’ award, where everyone could nominate their colleague and write a few nice words about them.
- This is a memory that we probably all share in the department, having a unique experience of working in the SIREN study clinic and getting to meet so many members of staff and finding out what their roles involve and how they have adapted during the pandemic. Some have shared their personal stories of why research is so important to them which also highlights how research active we are in the Trust.
