League of Friends Trolley Shop Service
Established in 1972
The League of friends trolley shop visited the wards on Friday 26th February 2010 for the last time. A drop in sales over the previous 6 months had forced the league to end it's trolley shop service.
Changes made by the hospital management which included closing wards,denied access to a viable customer base.
The league thanks all those volunteers over the past 38 years who gave sterling service and raised money for many different gifts and services.
The League of Friends trolley shop was started in 1972, by Mrs May Ettridge with the help of her husband. It cost £126.52 to set up the trolley in 1972. Over the next 38 years it had raised over £25,000 towards the many gifts donated to Heatherwood hospital.
The founding members of the trolley shop were all working in the leagues sterile dressing packs operation. This was twelve ladies who a couple of hours a week would produce sterile packs for wards. This started in 1962 and concluded in 1972 when the hospital built it's own CSSD dept as part of the new maternity wing.
In 2007 congratulations are in order as the trolley shop clocked up 35 years service to the patients and staff of Heatherwood hospital. A tribute to the past and present volunteers who had worked on the trolley shop.
The trolley shop catered for the main needs of members of the public who had been hospitalized. The trolley shop sold a variety of goods: essential toiletries, sweets and chocolates, soft drinks, stationery, stamps, batteries and much much more. On the trolley shop; space had to be used wisely and also we must remember, it could get too heavy to push around. Proceeds from the sale of goods, swelled the funds of the League of Friends.
The trolley shop had an average of 25 volunteers ensuring the service continued on the wards each week; come rain or shine.
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