#healthheroes: The Leeds fundraiser supporting NHS workers on coronavirus frontline

Codie, 24, of Meanwood, is a corporate partnership fundraiser for Leeds Cares, which raises around £5m each year for Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust.

Her job usually involves helping Leeds based companies organise fundraising events - like taking part in the Leeds 10K or the Yorkshire Warrior race.

The charity has had to cancel many fundraising events due to the coronavirus outbreak.

Now Codie, along with many of her colleagues at Leeds Cares, has volunteered to leave the safety of the office in order to support NHS workers on the frontline.

Leeds Cares has launched an urgent appeal to support staff at Leeds hospitals, who are working around the clock to treat patients with Covid-19

Codie and her colleagues now collect bulk donations of food and toiletries from local businesses and pack them into care packages, which are then distributed at Leeds General Infirmary, St James's Hospital and other sites.

All the workers and volunteers who have stepped forward to help are young and healthy, but Codie says she knows it is still risky.

She said: “When everyone else is staying at home and the hospitals are empty – even of visitors – it does feel a little scary.

"But then you realise inside every ward are hospital staff working so hard to save lives, so every little thing we can do to help them, or just brighten their day, will make a massive difference.”

Codie's voluntary work is being highlighted today as the YEP joins with titles across the JPIMedia portfolio to celebrate health workers across Leeds, who are the very front line of keeping our nation safe during this uncertain time, as part of our #HealthHeroes campaign.

They are the doctors, nurses, porters, cleaners, administrators and many, many more who are making sure our extraordinary national health service can keep up with the increased demand as more people turn to it for help during the Covid-19 pandemic.

The YEP will be bringing stories of how those on the frontline are going the extra mile to keep us safe.

Codie said: “When everyone else is staying at home and the hospitals are empty – even of visitors – it does feel a little scary.

"But then you realise inside every ward are hospital staff working so hard to save lives, so every little thing we can do to help them, or just brighten their day, will make a massive difference.”

Codie added: “As soon as we heard about the outbreak we knew we had to do something.

"Our whole ethos is about supporting the hospitals and its staff, so now rather than sitting in the office raising funds, we’re out there in the hospitals, packing care boxes and delivering them to wards”.

“We’ve had lots of local companies wanting to help – they’ve donated everything from biscuits and coffee to hundreds of loaves of bread – it’s brilliant.

"Beauty salons, corner shops, big national firms; everyone has been wanting to help.

"It ensures staff can continue to get access to food and that they also get access to small treats, things like nice toiletries for the end of their shift.”

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