TWO members of staff have raised an incredible £1,200 for Cumbria, Northumberland, Tyne and Wear NHS Foundation Trust’s SHINE charity.
Peter Prest and Paul Hewiston wrote a song titled ‘Where Hope Begins’ to raise money for SHINE, which helps improve the wellbeing of patients receiving care in CNTW’s services across the North East and North Cumbria.
The talented duo, known as ‘The Mop Heads’, work as cleaners for NTW Solutions. The idea for their song came in the midst of the pandemic, during socially distanced chats at St Nicholas Hospital in Gosforth.
The theme of the song is the return of hope and they say they were inspired by the huge impact the pandemic had on the pair and the people they work with across the Trust.
“I knew I wanted the song to be about hope,” Peter said, who has worked at St Nicholas Hospital for 26 years.
“It just seemed right to link it to SHINE as the charity brings hope to the people who use the services.”
It wasn’t long before Peter had written the lyrics and Paul, who has worked at St Nicholas Hospital for a decade, had written the music for the song. Paul then recorded it in his home studio.
Since releasing the song last summer, the pair have done live performances across hospital sites, recorded an interview with Tyneside Radio promoting the song and the charity, and have sold over 100 CDs of the track.
Peter and Paul said: “We would like to thank everyone involved in the making of Where Hope Begins. Their efforts and support are greatly appreciated. We’d especially like to thank our supervisor Sheila Johnston who went above and beyond to help make it all possible.”
All proceeds of the song go to SHINE which helps support people accessing mental health, learning disabilities and neuro-rehabilitation services by providing the extra things that can make a real difference. Funds from SHINE have supported users with everything from horse riding outings to gardening tools, bikes, bean bags and even Christmas decorations for wards.
The song comes with an accompanying music video featuring staff from both CNTW and NTW Solutions. Staff are shown holding up cards sharing their memories and experiences of the pandemic.
The Mop Heads have big plans for the future, with more songs in development and hopes to perform at more hospital sites across the Trust.
Recent projects SHINE has supported include the restoration of the therapeutic garden at St George’s Park in Morpeth, HUG companions for patients with dementia at the Carleton Clinic in Carlisle, and outdoor sports equipment for a male inpatient ward in Hopewood Park, Sunderland. These would not be possible without the generosity of the people who support SHINE.
To find out more about The Mop Heads, visit Hope – NTW Solutions
To find out more, go to the SHINE webpage.
The Mop Heads would like to thank the following members of staff for helping to make ‘Where Hope Begins’ possible.
- Ronnie Scott
- Steve Anderson
- Jackie Watson
- Malcolm Gray
- Judith Collison
- Clare Conners
- Jackie Smith
- Danielle Martin
- Rachel Martin
- Susan Sharrocks
- Samantha Cooke
- Philippa Keith
- Jo Neate
- William Anderson
- Joanne Hanlon
- Ken Tait
- Tony Wealleans
- Victoria Bullerwell
- Matt Watson
- John Bolland
- Ed Warrington
- Andrew Levy
- Michelle Wallis