'It's about kindness, decency and care, which is what hospital staff show every day' - Former Goodyear workers make final donation

Former Goodyear workers surprised staff at Wolverhampton's New Cross Hospital with their final payment from the union's benevolent fund.

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The factory on the Stafford Road which closed in 2016 has continued to provide a legacy for charities across the West Midlands, donating more than £3.4m from their sick pay fund to good causes.

The fund has been managed by members of the 5/3444 transport and general workers union who represented staff during the factories 89 year history and one of the organisations which has benefited the most is New Cross, which has received over £500k from the fund.

Members of the TGWU Benevolent fund charity made their final presentation to mark the end of the fund. It came at New Cross Hospital, where they have donated over £500,000 from the fund for separate projects since the Good Year factory shut its doors.
Pictured is Cyril Barret with fellow former Goodyear workers. — Members of the TGWU Benevolent fund charity made their final presentation to mark the end of the fund. It came at New Cross Hospital, where they have donated over £500,000 from the fund for separate projects since the Good Year factory shut its doors. Pictured is Cyril Barrett with fellow former Goodyear workers.

Cyril Barrett, the chairman of trustees and some of his former colleagues at Goodyear visited the hospital recently to present two cheques by way of the final donation from the fun, which is now winding down.

Staff believed they were receiving a cheque towards remote blood pressure monitors for the paediatric unit, which will mean children will not have to go to the site’s heart and lung centre to access one. In fact they received two cheques to provide two machines by way of what Mr Barrett said was a fond farewell.

On Deansley Ward at New Cross hospital is Cyril Barrett with senior matron Kirsty Lewis and a blood blood pressure monitor the final donation is paying for

He said: "It’s the end of a journey about kindness, decency and care, which is what this hospital and others we have helped is all about.

"As a father and grandfather all you can help is that if your children need the services of New Cross, Walsall Manor or other hospitals the staff, like here, provide loving care and kind words to help them through the tough times.

Cyril Barrett with New Cross staff member Linda Large and a Paxman scalp cooler which the fund which has now wound down also helped to fund

"Since the factory closed and we started distributing the funds we have received countless requests and responded to them all.

"But we didn’t give any money to anybody, there was due diligence – we did projects that will help to change people’s lives, including equipment at hospitals that has transformed treatment."

"It has never been a case of just handing over a cheque to anyone, it has always been about particular projects, such as this one which will make kids lives easier and those of the staff who care so well for them but are under a lot of pressure."

Other contributions to the Royal Wolverhampton NHS Trust, which also runs Cannock Chase Hospital and West Park Hospital have included ECG and anaesthetic machines for theatres, wheelchair accessible exercise bikes and the transformation of rooms for young cancer patients.

Pictured is Cyril Barret with senior matron Kirsty Lewis and the blood pressure monitors.

In the year the factory closed, the workers donated more than £1m for a redevelopment of Compton Care’s headquarters.

And in 2022, Acorns Children's Hospice in Walsall received £280,000 to help transform an arts and crafts room for children with life-limiting conditions.

Cyril added: “I hope and pray the ex-Goodyear workers and their families are proud of themselves."

" Even in difficult times for which everyone goes through, people have lost their jobs but they still come out the other end wanting to reach out and help and that's what we have tried to do with our projects."