A special West Ham-per delivery
Staff at The Royal London hospital were treated to a special delivery of seventy festive hampers, thanks to a generous donation from West Ham United and the Secret Hampers ‘ThankYouNHS - 70 hampers to 70 hospitals’ initiative.
The gesture was especially meaningful as our hospital teams provided vital care to former Hammer Michail Antonio following his road traffic accident almost one year ago.
Simmi Naidi, Deputy Director of Nursing at the Royal London and Mile End Hospitals, said the hampers came at an especially meaningful time.
“We are incredibly grateful to West Ham United for this generous donation. Our staff work incredibly hard, especially during the busy winter period, and these gifts will provide a real boost to morale. On behalf of everyone at the hospital, thank you for your kindness and support.”
Among those staff was Zane Perkins, the Trauma Surgeon who treated Michail Antonio following his accident. Reflecting on the day, he said:
“It's nice when people appreciate what we do.”
He added that community connection is especially powerful in a city as large as London:
“I think it is brilliant, especially the connection we share with east London. Smaller towns and cities have a much bigger community feel, and in London that can be lost because of its size, so it’s nice to see when it does happen.”
For many staff members, including long-time West Ham supporter Gary, a Porter Manager at the hospital, the hampers carried personal significance.
“I feel appreciated, feel proud that whatever you do is making an impact on people and that gratitude is shown.”
He added: “Any type of acknowledgement is a morale boost, especially during Christmas time.”
Academy Director Kenny Brown represented the Club during the visit, where he emphasised the importance of supporting those who care for people every day.
“Supporting our community is so important to us as a Club, so it’s a real privilege to be here today, on behalf of the Chairman and everyone at West Ham United, to say thank you to the NHS staff here that work tirelessly all year round,” he said.
The delivery was made alongside Nigel Richardson, founder of Secret Hampers, who created the NHS70 initiative in memory of his late father, who received dedicated care from NHS nurses during his cancer treatment. Since its launch, Nigel’s campaign has reached thousands of NHS staff nationwide with heartfelt messages of gratitude.
Nigel, a lifelong Hammer, spoke emotionally about the Club’s involvement:
“As a lifelong West Ham fan, I’m truly humbled and proud that, after hearing about our ThankYouNHS hamper campaign, David Sullivan chose to support it so generously.”
“This has enabled David & the Club to give something back to the incredible staff at the hospital that first cared for Michail Antonio after his accident.”
“For this delivery, we’ve created 70 bespoke ‘West Ham-Pers’ as a token of appreciation for their outstanding work.”
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