A GENEROUS ice cream man is donating thousands of Mr Whippy's to reward NHS staff for their tremendous efforts during Covid-19.
Andy Newland from Bracknell has run his ice cream business Sir Whippy for 10 years, delivering the sweet treat to areas around Bracknell Forest.
ALSO READ: Virgin media down in Bracknell - updates
He felt inspired to donate ice creams after seeing how much it made staff smile at Heatherwood Hospital in Ascot.
He set up a crowdfunding page where each £1 donated will go towards free ice creams for the NHS in Frimley Park Hospital, Heatherwood Hospital and Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading.
Andy said: "After trying to lift the spirits of households across the local area with our contactless delivery service I would like to say THANK YOU to the NHS for helping every single one of us through our lifetimes.
READ MORE: 'Sanitising mist' and one-way systems: How The Lexicon has changed since lockdown
"Unfortunately as a small local business I cannot cater for the whole staff of a large hospital (Frimley Park for example has around 8,500 staff) or multiple local hospitals alone. But as a community with your help we would like to try pledge some more free ice creams to NHS Staff whether that be the nurses and doctors, down to the porters and cleaners that have worked tirelessly through the pandemic and continue to do so."
So far the Just Giving page has received £591 in donations off its £5,000 target and many have supported the idea.
One person said: "An amazing idea. Thank you to all NHS, supermarket, mail, teachers, service workers, support and care workers, those in the front-line and behind the scenes, and everyone keeping afloat!
Nicola Ward added: "Fabulous idea! I know a few people at Frimley Park who would love this!"
Mr Newland said: "I will be donating as many ice cream as I can but with your help we could cater for the whole hospital or even further afield. Every £1 donated after Just Giving’s fees will go towards free ice creams for the NHS and vital workers supporting them at our local hospitals. This is not for profit but for the community spirit and a way for everyone to say thank you!"
Visit: https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/freeicecream to donate
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here