UCLan takes Acts of Kindness Day to Royal Preston Hospital
Staff from Royal Preston Hospital received an unexpected treat yesterday after visitors from the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) arrived with gift bags of hot drinks and biscuits to thank them for their hard work.
The UCLan contingent visited 36 wards around the hospital to share the tasty treats with a variety of staff including doctors, nurses and health care assistants.
It was part of UCLan’s third annual Acts of Kindness (AOK Day), which is organised by a cross-section of staff and students with the aim of promoting kindness across the city. Other kindness acts included greeting people at Preston Railway Station with flowers and goody bags and on-campus activities such as the Kindness Kabin, Kindness Awards and relaxation workshops.
Dr Lorraine Dacre-Pool, Senior Lecturer in Employability, was the event’s main organiser. She said: “The whole University got behind the initiative and people were overwhelmed by the many meaningful gestures made by colleagues and friends. To then take this out into the community and thank our front-line NHS staff for everything they do, particularly in its 70th year, was fantastic.”
"This was a really pleasant and humbling act from the UCLan team and we really appreciate them thinking of us and our hard working staff."
Gail Naylor, Nursing, Midwifery and Allied Health Professionals Director at Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, said: “This was a really pleasant and humbling act from the UCLan team and we really appreciate them thinking of us and our hard working staff so I’d personally like to thank them for that. I know how much colleagues appreciated the thoughtful surprise and I hope this goes to show what a morale boost a little kindness can give to everyone.”
The event proved to be very popular on Twitter as people shared their kindness experiences on the day through the hashtag #UCLanAOK. Comments on Twitter included: “So @UCLan, #UCLanAok and my team have filled me with love, cakes, bagels, corned beef pie, tray bakes, Percy Pigs and faith in human nature!” and “@UCLan #UCLanAOK what a lovely welcome today as I walked into work (and I got a balloon). Have passed the cupcake etc on to my colleagues and have lots of chocolate for my students. Today is going to be a good day!”
