Today the health and wellbeing team is launching its latest initiative, the Leg Up Project, which will see staff that are experiencing financial hardship able to access a scheme which provides them with vouchers redeemable at Gateshead Health catering facilities.

One hundred sets of five £6 vouchers are now available and can be obtained by those in need for use at QE-Facilities led catering facilities across our sites.

QE-based Staff:

To access this support, simply get in touch with our Chaplaincy service on 0191 445 2072 (internal: 2072) to arrange a confidential pick-up.

You can then visit to confidentially pick up the letter from our Chaplaincy office, located opposite the exit of The Hub at the QE Hospital.

Other colleagues:

If you’re based elsewhere or work unsociable hours, please get in touch with the health and wellbeing team directly via [email protected] to arrange collection.

About the vouchers:

Vouchers are designed to enable discreet redemption, and as a result are designed the exact same as any other QE Facilities catering voucher. It is hoped that their provision will help to keep our colleagues at their best while at work, and ensure no one misses out on the benefits of a break and a meal.

It goes without saying that nobody should go without access to food and drink. We know the impact a good meal can have on your wellbeing, providing you with the nutrition to stay physically and mentally well, as well as a valuable social opportunity in the middle of what can often be stressful shifts.

If you feel the Leg Up project could be beneficial to you in helping you, please do not hesitate to take advantage of it. Stocks are limited to 100 sets of vouchers, but must all be claimed and used by the end of this calendar year (31st December 2022). Each individual voucher is worth up to the value of £6, and can be used to purchase hot food and drinks from our QE Facilities-led catering facilities.

The initiative has kindly been funded by The Academic Health Science Network for the North East and North Cumbria, after the health and wellbeing team were successful in launching a bid for a grant.

As part of efforts to learn from the project, those who use the initiative will find a letter enclosed in their envelope when collecting which will ask you to get in touch to share any feedback. This information will be anonymised for use in a case study which reflects upon the impact the project has, and could be really useful in helping us to obtain further funding for such initiatives in the future. If you do collect vouchers, please consider getting in touch with us – it would be a massive help!

Note:

Please note that referrals to Gateshead Foodbank can also be obtained from our Chaplaincy service when visiting or making contact. If this is something you feel may be beneficial to you, please mention this when collecting vouchers – our chaplains won’t hesitate to support you with a confidential referral.