Over 5,000 sign up to host today’s biggest ever NHS Big Tea
Melanie May | 5 July 2021 | News
Thousands of events are taking place across the UK today for NHS Charities Together’s ‘NHS Big Tea’. Over 5,000 hosts have signed up this year, making it the biggest yet.
The NHS Big Tea takes place on the NHS’s 73rd birthday, and everyone can take part by raising a mug or holding their own virtual or physical tea party at 3pm or at any time that suits them near the day. Funds from the events will go to NHS Charities Together.
As part of the day, NHS staff have been invited to a special thank you birthday tea at Buckingham Palace hosted by The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge, who are Joint Royal Patrons for NHS Charities Together. The Duke and Duchess will also be joined by NHS Charities Together’s Chief Executive Ellie Orton OBE and Sir Simon Stevens, the Chief Executive of the NHS as a guest of the charity.
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The Buckingham Palace reception will take place in the palace gardens and will be attended by NHS staff, ranging from respiratory ward nurses and counsellors to hospital doctors and care workers. The attendees have been invited to the event as a special thank you and will be able to share their experiences of the past year with The Duke and Duchess.
Alexandra Heys, Nurse Ward Manager in the Respiratory High Care Unit at Gloucestershire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust said:
“The special tea at Buckingham Palace means a lot to NHS staff who have been through so much over the last year and I feel so honoured to be meeting The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge today. I know from personal experience that the past year has taken a huge toll on NHS staff who have worked incredibly hard to take care of patients during a challenging time.
“My team at the Respiratory High Care Unit has cared for over 300 very sick Covid patients, all of whom required dedicated around the clock care. All NHS staff have gone above and beyond, providing additional care in difficult circumstances, including connecting isolated and very sick patients with their families in their most challenging moments. We have all been through a lot, so seeing the public get behind the NHS Big Tea on such as massive scale is an immense boost and really makes a difference.”
Ellie Orton OBE, CEO of NHS Charities Together said:
“We are so thrilled that our Joint Royal Patrons The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge are hosting this event at Buckingham Palace today. It shows our huge gratitude for our NHS staff, and it will be an incredibly special memory for all those staff attending.
“The NHS has been the nation’s backbone over the last year and NHS staff its beating heart. They have gone truly above and beyond over the past year and are continuing to do so as the NHS recovers from its most challenging time in history.”
England men’s football team have also expressed their support for the NHS Big Tea, including Jordan Henderson MBE, Jordan Pickford, Tyrone Mings and Reece James. Other celebrity support includes actor, comedian and writer Stephen Fry, actress Olivia Colman, Line of Duty actress Vicky McClure, TV presenter and journalist Lorraine Kelly, author Adam Kay, and doctor and TV presenters Dr Alex George, Dr Hilary and Dr Ranj, radio DJ and TV presenter Edith Bowman, This Country actress and writer Daisy May Cooper, comedian Rosie Jones, The Chase’s Paul Sinha and more.
Jordan Henderson MBE, who was appointed an Official NHS Charities Together Champion in January following his creation of the #PlayersTogether initiative, said:
“After the last 16 months, this nation owes so much to the NHS and the least we can do this July is encourage everybody to express their collective gratitude for that selfless support. We know as footballers we are often the ones being looked up to, but this is about the real heroes so from all of us associated with the England football teams, we raise our mugs for the NHS Big Tea with a simple message – thank you.”
NHS Charities Together has so far allocated £125 million for a range of projects supporting staff, patients, and volunteers. Through its 240 NHS member charities covering the UK, projects include counselling services and helplines to help support the mental health of staff, bereavement support for families who have lost loved ones, long-Covid research, and funding thousands of emergency volunteers. Funding has also supported staff with practical needs like food, drink, and a place to rest, enabling staff to continue with their vital life-saving work.
A selection of NHS Big Tea tweets
About Melanie May
Melanie May is a journalist and copywriter specialising in writing both for and about the charity and marketing services sectors since 2001. She can be reached via thepurplepim.com.