Launch of Florence Nightingale Project in Harrogate to help key workers

Florence Nightingale, referred to as “The Lady with the Lamp” led a team of nurses in a women’s hospital and created a new respect for women and nurses.

In the process, she changed the perception in the 19th century of nurses during a time where wealthy women were expected to find a good husband and raise a family.

Gareth Grant, co-founder of the Harrogate Facebook Group, Supplies for Key workers said: "During the current pandemic, the perception of our nurses has changed again. People have found a new respect for the NHS and are showing their appreciation by Clapping for the NHS on Thursday nights.

"We wanted to take this a step further and ease the burden of the registration fees for newly qualified nurses and midwives to show our appreciation.

"Florence Nightingale educated America’s first trained nurse, Linda Richards, and that is why we have focussed our fund raising to nurses and midwives who are still in education or due to complete their learning shortly”.

The Supplies for Key Workers in and around Harrogate group was set up by Julie Mills, Fiona Ryan, Gareth Grant and Hayley Gregg on March 20 to support the local key workers with food, household items, laundry bags and essentials for helping key workers to manage the current situation.

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Fiona Ryan, a co-founder of the group, said “The current cost for registration fees for a student midwife or nurse is £120 (The Nursing and Midwifery Council).

"Our initial aim is to support and fund 200 newly qualified nurses and midwives. In a time where their skills are so desperately needed, we want to support them as much as we can. Our aim is to raise at least £24,000 to support 200 nurses”.

In conjunction with International Nurses Day, The Florence Nightingale Project will launch on the 200th anniversary of Florence Nightgale’s birth date, May 12, 2020.

To support the campaign, donations can be made via justgiving here

The Florence Nightingale Project - JustGiving

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