Autumn Update 2023

On October 24th volunteers from the Scrubbery were invited to Westminster to celebrate the completion of the UK Parliament Coronavirus Quilt which was co-produced by MPs and Parliamentary staff with the support and expertise of Naomi Clarke, a Bristol University PhD student. Each quilt block marks individual contributions from different constituencies around the UK that relate to the Covid pandemic. Several MPs and the Speaker Of the House attended the event.

Fleur Anderson, Putney MP, had approached Rosie for a sewing lesson and help with the design. She spoke about the opportunity that learning a new skill had given her and paid tribute to Rosie, the Scrubbery and her team of 200+ volunteers. She said, “Covid has been a time of devastating loss but I have also seen incredible acts of selflessness and community spirit-none more so than in the Putney Scrubbery and Rosie Taylor-Davies.”

Life at The Scrubbery continues to be very busy. The main focus this autumn has been to make scrubs, and to collect and send urgent aid to Ukraine including warm clothing, bedding, baby necessities, medicines and medical equipment. The safe delivery of these vital supplies is down to a small group of dedicated people.

Djamilia is our main contact and she works with us to either fill ambulances being sent by Medical LifeLines Ukraine or with Alexsey who takes supplies to the Polish/Ukrainian border and then Djamilia arranges Ukrainians to come to collect the consignments. Alexsey services and repurposes vehicles in the UK for use in Ukraine. He was driving them empty but we now fill them with aid to make use of his journeys. This autumn, Alexsey has made frequent deliveries on our behalf.

A shipment of operating room scrubs and hats went to St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital in Lviv. Many children in the hospital are so mentally traumatised that they are slow to heal in a way that they would not normally be in times of peace. Mental health is a priority. A giant box of arts and craft materials, soft toys, puppets, puzzles, Lego, bubble machines and English reading books for early years was sent to the hospital schoolroom and occupational health unit.

In September, a consignment of camouflage nets was sent to the front line. When wounded troops are evacuated from the frontline, their clothing is cut off them and once they are evacuated and recuperating they have nothing to wear. On September 29th, an ambulance departed full of men’s warm winter clothing and blankets; more scrubs for St. Nicholas and three camouflage nets. Messages are attached to each net and we were lucky enough to be sent a video of the troops reading out our messages of goodwill.

Rosie learned that troops on the front line had nothing to eat off. As the UK has banned single-use plastics, she collected 82 reusable plastic trays that were no longer required from the school and single use cutlery from Gail’s in East Sheen and sent them with Alexsey.

In November, Alexsey delivered supplies for frontline troops: pillows, sleeping bags, tarpaulins, blankets, foil blankets (repurposed after the London Marathon), pain killers, sterile swabs and dressings, asthma supplies and a treat-Italian biscuits from Italicatessen.

In December, Medical LifeLines Ukraine drove out an ambulance filled with clothing, duvets, blankets, drugs and crutches. We were able to solicit a very kind donation from St. John’s Ambulance of 3 full-sized resuscitation mannequins and 3 baby ones for first aid training on the front line. This trip included snow camouflage, hospital nightgowns, winter clothing, pain relief drugs and a child’s snooker and football table!

Dimitro, a Ukrainian, whose wife and children are in the UK, regularly drives ambulances to Ukraine in conjunction with our Ascot colleagues. His destinations include a Maternity Hospital in Zaporizhzhia and field hospitals on the front line and many places along the way. His journeys are often fraught with danger - one hospital that we were to deliver to had been blown up just before he arrived. In September and November, Dimitro made trips to the Maternity Hospital in Zaporizhzhia. The first load included beautiful hats, mitts and booties.

These are hand-knitted by a wonderful local and national team of volunteers who are encouraged by Rosie to use up their stash of wool as they like. Also included were donated muslins, nappies, cream, hooded bath towels. The second delivery included handmade quilts, over 100 blankets, sleepsuits, towels, cocoons, toys and clothes for 0-2 year olds. In December Dimitro drove the ‘ambulance sleigh’ as Father Christmas to bring cheer to children along his route.

Olga is on our management committee and is a longstanding supporter of The Scrubbery. In October, she helped us to transport two of our relief shipments: medical equipment including first aid kits, painkillers, hygiene supplies, crutches, wrist and leg supports: practical equipment including tents, (from the scouts) a snow camouflage net, foil blankets, folding chairs and camp beds. Olga has been awarded the Cross of Freedom in Ukraine for her efforts supporting Ukraine. In addition she has received a Medal of Distinction for charitable work. Many congratulations for these excellent awards and she sends her thanks to the team who helped her achieve this.

We are enormously grateful to these generous and selfless people.

Here in London, The Scrubbery has sent 300 cloth mastectomy drain bags to the Breast Surgery Unit in Charing Cross Hospital. These colourful bags offer support and comfort women who have undergone breast surgery, allowing them to leave the house and go about their tasks without embarrassment and with hands free. Thirty sets of rainbow scrubs were sent to the Royal Hospital for Neuro-Disability and they were delighted with them. Thank you to everyone who made them.

Oasis Academy Update

Library

Rosie approached Putney High School for advice on best practice in setting up a school library. Together, the two schools have successfully applied for an Eco Grant of £2,225 from HSBC. Rosie approached the RHS, the Natural History Museum and Brown’s Books for help in sourcing suitable books for an ECO reading challenge across the year groups at Oasis Putney under the headings of Climate Action, Life below Water and Life on Land and What you Can Do to Help.

Sewing club

Thanks to Rosie and her helpers, the sewing club meets on Wednesdays after school. Last term, the children made woodland creature soft toys from up-cycled wool sweaters felted in the washing machine. This term they are sewing ‘country mice coming to town in an outfit.’

If you have information to include in the newsletter please send it to Jo, who we welcome as our new newsletter compiler. Thanks so much to Jo for stepping up.