Withybush student nurses fundraising press release from Hywel Dda Health Charities

Eight student nurses have raised a whopping £2,245 to pay for iPads so patients at South Pembs Hospital can keep in touch with loved ones while unable to receive visitors.

The nursing team – Shannon John, Ruth Morgan, Anna Griffiths, Chloe Thomas, Aneesah Tamlin, Shanice Riley, Dominika Szwab and Lisa Prest – launched a Just Giving page and organised a virtual prize draw.

The Student Nurses were given prizes by local businesses and received a £500 donation from Milford Haven Port Authority, who also named them their fundraisers of the year. An iPad was also donated by Valero Energy.

Shannon who, along with the other nurses is based at Withybush but trains in Carmarthen, said they really wanted to help patients in south Pembrokeshire speak to family and friends when it was not possible to receive visitors.

“With COVID-19 restrictions, patients were going for long periods of time without being in contact with family members. We decided that the hospital needed iPads to ensure patients could stay in contact and see their family members,” said Shannon, 25.

“A big thank you to all the local businesses who have supported us in raising funds for South Pembs Hospital and to everyone who brought tickets. We feel so proud to have made a difference and are now inspired to put on a bigger fundraiser for Withybush Hospital this year.”

Head of Hywel Dda Health Charities, Nicola Llewellyn, said the charity would like to thank the nurses for their fundraising.

“The support of our local communities enables us to provide services over and above what the NHS can provide in the three counties of Hywel Dda and we are extremely grateful for every donation we receive,” said Nicola.