Generous Tesco workers supply Queen Alexandra Hospital staff with toiletries and care products

Fundraising at the Crasswell Street store was led by the shop’s cafe manager and part-time singer, Steve Taylor, who had customers dancing alongside their trolleys with daily renditions of classic sing along tunes such as Sweet Caroline.

Coordinating the fundraising was customer service manager, Glenda Soper, who organised two staff non uniform days to raise additional money. In total, staff at the store raised £2,400 for the cause.

Glenda said: ‘We all came in dressed in blue in tribute to the NHS. My colleague, Rita Waight, has a daughter, Natalie, who works at QA. Natalie had asked her mother if there was anything the store could do to raise money. I spoke to the store manager and he was only too happy to help.’

Natalie had explained that many of the hospital’s staff are having to work long hours and even stay overnight an so had requested practical items such as toiletries.

Glenda, who organised the QA shop, added: ‘They said they needed lots of toiletries and things like hair dryers and lip balm. We also supplied drinking glasses, food snacks and coffee makers. Some of the products will also be donated to patients at the hospital.’

The items have been handed over to the hospital’s fundraising manager, Michelle Bowdidge.

Michelle thanked the staff at the store for for ‘kindly donating all the items’.

A message from the Editor

Thank you for reading this story on portsmouth.co.uk. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to portsmouth.co.uk and enjoy unlimited access to local news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit our Subscription page now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.