The Friends of St Mary’s staff and volunteers are delighted to be able to get ‘back to business’.
The new shop in the foyer has been re-opened following the coronavirus lockdown.
It is open from 09:00-15:00, Monday to Friday.
Lesley Myland, chairman of the charity, said:
“This shop was launched just before lockdown, and we were enjoying getting used to new ways of working. However, in line with COVID safety measures, we had to close the shop, together with the cafes in Outpatients, the Laidlaw Clinic and Ryde Wellbeing Clinic; the very popular ward trolley service also ceased.
“We have not been able to resume the cafe and trolley services for now, but we are optimistic about doing so when the time is right.
“For the time being we are relying on hospital staff and visitors to ‘spend! spend! spend’ in our foyer shop. Profits from our activities have been supporting the Island’s NHS for 32 years and we want to carry on doing that, especially now when the NHS has become so important.
“We have a great range of gifts, drinks, stationery, snacks and greetings cards.
Article continues below this advertisement “If people are not coming to the hospital, they can still support patients and staff at St Mary’s through our collection boxes scattered across the Island.”
Lisa Brodie, the shop manager, said inevitably takings were significantly hit by the lock-down, which means less money becoming available to purchase extra equipment for the Island’s NHS.
“We are pleased to find that some of the 60 or so volunteers have returned to help staff the shop, and we hope in time more will return.”
Well i for one will use your shop and cafe when it opens and not that other place.
A welcome back and thank you ladies….. and gents?
I will as usual use this great outlet as I’ve done on numerous occasions when visiting St Mary’s Hospital. Totally annoyed and disgusted when someone in their infinite wisdom decided to remove them from their prime position and put Costas (costa a lot) there instead. Hope everybody else does the same.
I think they should close the shop and put another concession in its place. Pret a manger!