PW_1_2022

Article

A Package of Care Donna Powel , Sussex Branch I want to start this article by saying how much I have appreciated the Zoom coffee mornings organised by Sean Hannigan. I am a busy person with my two young children but, I have suffered with anxiety this last 15 or so months, and to see regular friendly faces during these coffee mornings has given me so much support. I know there are regular faces on the Zooms who live alone, so I can only begin to imagine how much these coffee mornings have meant to them. T owards the end of 2020 , I started baking during the coffee morning Zoom sessions with my daughter, and someone made a joke about smell-o-vision, Spike Elliott then mentioned getting care packages, Rum and raisin fudge

including biscuits, from his family, whilst serving in the Falklands. The effect on his morale, even all these years was clear, so this got me thinking. I decided to send care packages to some of our members who were living alone during this pandemic. I mentioned my idea to Sean Hannigan, who offered to support me with this project and a vision was born. I already knew three regular faces from the Zooms, who I wanted to send my care packages to. These were Bill Petherick in Scotland, Denis Hunt in Wales and John Hutchins in Hertfordshire. I asked Sean if he could suggest a fourth person to receive a care package, and he suggested Norman Banfield from Boston, who was widowed at the end of 2019. On Monday 22nd March I started baking. I made a rich fruit cake during the day, rum & raisin fudge that evening, and on Tuesday I baked several batches of stem ginger biscuits. All were gift wrapped, placed inside a presentation box and posted the next day. I excitedly kept checking my emails as the packages slowly got delivered, and I wondered how they had been received, as no one knew they were receiving a food care package from me. Shortly after 1pm I got a phone call from Scotland which could only be Bill. It was the first time we had directly spoken, and it was an emotional phone call for both of us. I was so happy that Bill had enjoyed his surprise parcel. Later that day I received a truly lovely email from Denis, who was very complimentary of my fruit cake saying it edged out in front, beyond his own Mothers high quality cake. Denis also said: “The contents of the package were both exquisite and extremely thoughtful of you. And so my lovely Donna, having just devoured the final crumbs of the cake, some of which I now need to dig out from my keyboard, I will again say a most sincere thank you for your most thoughtful gift.” That evening I got a phone call from Norman, who I am now in contact with via email and we have shared a few messages including photos of each other, and on the Friday I had a lovely phone call with John. I purposely chose items for the care packages so the recipients had a choice of cake, sweets and biscuits, I also tried to choose items with a longer life to them, so they didn’t have to eat lots of sweet things in a short space of time. I thoroughly enjoyed putting these packages together, and to know I put smiles on faces of friends, some of whom I have never even met. I hope they helped the recipients know they are not alone. Sean kindly agreed to support me with further care packages, so once every few weeks, four care packages have been sent to friends in the UK who have been struggling, be it in relation to Covid, illness, bereavement, or just to say thank you for everything they do. I have been joined by Cate Connolly, sending packages to friends in Northern Ireland too, and between us 20 have now been sent out. If you know a member who you think deserves a care package, then please email Sean Hannigan or me ( donna.powell@live.co.uk ) with a few words as to why you would like that member sent a care package and we will see what we can do.

The complete care package sealed as recipient would open it.

The rich fruit cake

POLICE WORLD Vol 67 No.1, 2022

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