A group of big hearted shop workers jumped into action for a DIY SOS-style makeover at a hospice.
But the facelift of the guest room at Nightingale House in Wrexham wasn’t just any facelift – it was done by staff from the Marks and Spencer store down the road at Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre.
The team swapped coat hangers for paper scrapers and carrier bags for paint brushes and spent a week redecorating and transforming the guest room used by patients’ relatives so they can stay over.
They stripped the wallpaper, sanded down the walls before lining and painting them and glossing doors and skirting boards.
M&S food section manager Katie Leighton said: “We have also fitted new blinds, cleaned the carpet and upgraded the bathroom as well as supplying new curtains and bedding. It is all part of the M&S scheme called ‘Making Every Moment Special in the Community’.
“Each M&S store has its own dedicated charity and the team at our M&S Eagles Meadow store chose Nightingale House Hospice as the charity we wanted to support.
“We were given a £500 donation by the company to do something that would have a long-lasting benefit to the charity and after meeting with hospice managers we decided upgrading the relatives’ room would be the ideal project.
“The relatives’ room is used so people can stay overnight and be close to their family members who are patients at this wonderful hospice.”
Katie says store staff have been really keen to take part in the project with some even volunteering to spend their days off working at the hospice scrapping walls and painting.
She said: “Six members of staff at a time have been working at the hospice. We really want to get the job done and do a good job for the community.
“Nightingale House Hospice is a special place and is very much in the hearts of everyone in Wrexham. Most people know of someone who has spent time here.
“It’s a warm, welcoming and friendly place and the staff are simply wonderful. I’m so glad we have had this opportunity and delighted with the way the M&S team has worked.”
Amanda Hutchinson, of Rhos, a master barista who works in the M&S cafe at Eagles Meadow, was delighted to have had the opportunity to help.
She said: “It’s been good fun and a good team-bonding exercise for us too. I’ve come in on my day off because we want to get finished on time and do a really good job. It’s something we can be really proud of.”
Vikki Drury of Wrexham, a section coordinator at the M&S also forfeited her day off to get the Nightingale House Hospice relative’s room finished on time.
She said: “It’s been a really good experience and it’s something we can all be proud of. The scheme is a great idea and means we can really do something that means a lot to the community and gives a lasting benefit to the hospice.”
According to Nightingale House Hospice ward sister Ruth Bond, the M&S staff have done an amazing job.
She said: “It’s fantastic. The room is used by families and offers somewhere on site where they can go to rest and relax. It’s a really important facility and is used by families on an almost daily basis.
“It’s lovely to see a company like M&S supporting the hospice and we are really grateful for everything they have done. Their work will have a lasting benefit to everyone at Nightingale House Hospice.”
Luke McDonald, of Nightingale House Hospice’s Income Generation department added: “We are delighted the staff at M&S in Eagles Meadow chose us to be their charity of the year. The work they have done in refurbishing the relative’s room will have a really positive and lasting impact on what we can offer the families of our patients.
“The room is in frequent use and its vital relatives can have somewhere to go to rest and relax and of course, stay over if they need to. We are really grateful to all the M&S staff who have worked so hard refurbishing the room.”
Eagles Meadow Shopping Centre manager Kevin Critchley praised the M&S team for doing a fantastic job.
He said: “I’m delighted the M&S team came up with the idea of decorating and refurbishing the relative’s room at Nightingale House Hospice.
“Nightingale House means a great deal to a lot of people in Wrexham and indeed, the wider area.
“The fact M&S are keen to support local charities and good causes through their ‘Making Every Moment Special in the Community’ scheme is wonderful and shows how retailers can work closely with local communities.”
He added: “There is no doubt the work done by the M&S team will be of a lasting benefit to Nightingale House Hospice and the families and relatives that need to stay over or just have somewhere quiet to rest and relax.”
To find out more about Nightingale House Hospice please visit www.nightingalehouse.co.uk
