Willenhall pub raises more than £1,000 to help feed NHS staff
A fundraiser organised by a group of people from Willenhall has raised more than £1,000 to help feed NHS staff.
Wayne Palmer, who works for Wolverhampton Council, approached Trevor Dunn-Greenway - owner of the Ye Olde Toll House in Walsall Street - to launch an online GoFundMe appeal last week to raise cash provide meals for frontline workers at Walsall Manor and New Cross Hospital.
The original target was £1,000, but in less than 24 hours this amount had been exceeded, with £1,681 raised in total.
Wayne, 46, said: "We were astonished, we never once thought that we would reach the target so quickly and especially not exceed it.
"It has been a great community effort and more than what we ever anticipated.
"Every donation has counted, one person donated £200 as their daughter works for the NHS and they wanted to give something back.
"We wanted to say thank you to all the key workers and thanks to the donations we have been able to help so many more people."
Thanks to the funds raised, Trevor and a team of volunteers were able to provide hundreds of meals to staff at Walsall Manor Hospital, Willenhall Fire Station and Willenhall Ambulance hub.
Hundreds of snacks were also delivered to New Cross Hospital.
Councillor Diane Coughlan, who has been supporting the appeal, said: "The restaurant was looking for £1,000 originally - we had raised that within 24 hours.
"We just want to say a massive thank you to the emergency services and the NHS and I have to say the Willenhall community have been brilliant.
"Business and members of the public have donated and we're thrilled to bits - it's really brought the community together."
