Salford Food Parcels run from the Emmanuel Centre on Langworthy Road, Salford. Yvonne Simms runs the foodbank with her volunteers and said that more and more people needed emergency food during the pandemic. She was worried that people won’t know how to find them and she doesn’t have a marketing budget. So, I wrote this blog for her, at no cost, which resulted in another 150 additional emergency food parcels being delivered during the first lockdown.

At the same time I also wrote the ‘Knitted Bereavement Blankets, Hearts, Teddies & Toys Campaign to help the  Swan Bereavement Team at Salford Royal NHS Trust. Again, the ladies who knit came forward and their kindness helped the nursing team to care for patients and families affected by COVID-19. This kindness is one of the ways we displayed resilience through COVID 19 and we’re still going on today…

At a perfect moment, our paths crossed with Val’s, enabling two charities to come together and assist families using our hospitals in the NCA.

Val’s flexibility and support have been crucial to our service at Swan charity within the NCA. Her contribution has been significant, allowing us to give knitted hearts and bears to families with sick, dying, or deceased loved ones.

Knitted hearts or bears are identical pairs, as the idea suggests. Holding the bear/heart can bring comfort in the early days following a death, serving as a link to the person where one can talk to it, squeeze it, or hug it for solace.

These items were vital for patients when Covid was at its peak, as visitors were not allowed. Yet, they remain significant today and continue to offer comfort to families.

Val fully embraced and understood our goals. Her enthusiasm is an invaluable asset in our efforts to sustain and reignite support for this campaign; especially as everyone is feeling a little Covid tired.

Val is both caring and passionate about people and their wellbeing.

Salford NHS Trust – Swan team

My name is Jasmin, Founder & CEO of Women with Wings C.I.C. I met Val from Verve Recruitment three years ago at an event in Manchester.

We spoke and connected because of our work, which is supporting families in our community. Our organisation supports women and their families to improve lives; during the pandemic, we supported these families with food essentials, care products, and baby essentials.

During those times, Verve has supported our organisation by providing children’s clothes and knitted items such as baby clothes, baby blankets, cardigans, socks, hats, and gloves for new babies and grown children and other items.

The ladies we support gratefully received these items, and they helped them a lot during wintertime.

Also, Verve Recruitment helped to raise awareness of the Diaspora Food Parcel Project by creating a social campaign. This campaign increased our members through Food Parcels, which meant we could support many more families throughout Greater Manchester.

We are still supporting each other through our work, and our connection is growing stronger and stronger.

We at Women with Wings are grateful and appreciate all the help and support we have received and continue to receive.  

Women with Wings CIC

I have received a lot of help from Verve Recruitment and the links from the Verve blogs. I met Val Hogan at a conference in 2019, and since then, we have had an active friendship and partnership. I totally support Vere Recruitment in all it does to provide quality foster care for vulnerable children. Through Verve, I have made links with other like-minded charities; subsequently, we have been able to work together for the good of families.

We have had help from a wide area to knit for the deprived children and babies; this campaign continues to provide warm clothing for them. We also supply through these blogs Bonding blankets for premature babies and mums, bereavement blanks and comfort hearts and toys for those dying or the bereaved families, comfort toys for fostered children.

Also, Salford Food Parcels provide food and essentials; we had received cries for help when Verve published the blogs, for Salford Food Parcels. Our public profile has gone up, and through this campaign, we have been able to help those in need or direct them to get help.

Networking is vital in local charities, and Verve helps Not for Profit’s link to each other, and we can promote many other projects via these blogs.

I have received so much help, even when I am just mulling over things with Val Hogan, Verve’s director; I recommend Verve in all its aspects to you.

Salford Food Parcels