A team of three Jamaican health workers from Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford have rallied staff and the local community to support families in Jamaica affected by Hurricane Melissa, by organising a heartfelt donation drive to raise funds and gather essential supplies.
“When Monique, Nicole, and Marlon began a collection for the Hurricane Melissa Appeal, we were keen to help. Their dedication to their work here is exceptional.”
Mark Gilmour, Hospital Director at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford
The initiative is being led by Registered Nurses Monique Willis and Nicole Chambers, both based in the Outpatient Department at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford, and Marlon Willis, a Ward Assistant on its Kingfisher Ward. All three were born and raised in Jamaica before relocating to the UK to continue their careers in healthcare, and with their families still living on the island, the cause is “deeply personal” to them.
Over recent weeks, the trio has collected £120 in donations, alongside several bags of non-perishable foods -including tinned and dried goods – and personal hygiene items such as toothbrushes, toothpaste, soaps, body wash, lotions, sanitary products, and baby nappies. Donations will be transported later this month through the Croydon BME Forum as part of its Jamaica Hurricane Relief Programme.
They each lived and worked in Jamaica before joining Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford. Monique served as Senior Health Services Manager at the Heart Foundation of Jamaica in Kingston, Nicole worked as a Senior Registered Nurse at Annotto Bay Hospital in St. Mary, and Marlon was a Senior Medical Billings Officer at the University Hospital of the West Indies in Kingston and St. Andrew. Monique and Nicole relocated to the UK through the Overseas Nurse Recruitment Programme, with Marlon later joining the Ilford team to fill a ward vacancy.
“Our hearts are in Jamaica. It’s where our values, our sense of community, and our passion for care were shaped. While our home regions weren’t the most affected, seeing the devastation across the island has been heart-breaking.
Monique Willis, Outpatient nurse at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford
“Our hearts are in Jamaica,” says Monique. “It’s where our values, our sense of community, and our passion for care were shaped. While our home regions weren’t the most affected, seeing the devastation across the island – families displaced, homes destroyed, and communities struggling for basic necessities- has been heart-breaking. Even from afar, we feel their pain deeply. This collection is our way of standing with our people and helping them rebuild their lives, one donation at a time.”
Whilst the Ilford appeal has now closed, those who wish to continue supporting the relief efforts can contribute directly here: Support Jamaica – Official Disaster Relief & Recovery Portal.
Mark Gilmour, Hospital Director at Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford, says: “As a hospital, we are deeply committed to supporting our staff, our patients, and the wider community we serve. When Monique, Nicole and Marlon began a collection for the Hurricane Melissa Appeal, we were keen to help. Their dedication to their work here is exceptional, and this charity drive offered a meaningful opportunity for all of us to contribute to a cause that holds great personal significance for them and their families in Jamaica. We are grateful to our teams for responding with such generosity.”
Practice Plus Group Hospital, Ilford, continues to help reduce NHS waiting lists in routine procedures such as hip and knee surgery, general surgery such as hernia repair, endoscopy, diagnostics and cataract surgery. Private patients can book consultations directly with Wellsoon private healthcare from Practice Plus Group, and NHS patients can ask their GP for a referral to the hospital.
