MasterChef winner donates free meals to Solent NHS Trust on international day of celebration
200 meals have been donated to Solent NHS Trust on behalf of MasterChef winner and owner of Lakaz Maman restaurant in Southampton, Shelina Permalloo. Coinciding with International Nurses Day, the meals serve as a symbol of gratitude and support to all of the employees at Solent, who have been working incredibly hard through this difficult and unprecedented time.
Speaking on the donation, Shelina said: “We’ve been working to provide meals to key workers and charities across the city of Southampton, and so far we’ve donated over 1,000 meals. The hospitality industry has taken a hit during the pandemic with many restaurants having to close, including Lakaz Maman, but to be able to open the kitchen and cook for our key workers and those in need makes me incredibly happy. I want to thank the city of Southampton for their support during this time and hope these meals go some way towards sharing our gratitude to the NHS.”
Jackie Ardley, Chief Nurse at Solent NHS Trust, said: “This donation from Shelina and the team at Lakaz Maman is a such a great gesture and we are very grateful. These meals will help us celebrate the incredible people and teams at Solent who have been simply inspirational during this pandemic and we are so proud of everything they are doing.”
International Nurses Day (12 May) falls on the 200th anniversary of the birth of nursing pioneer, Florence Nightingale and Solent NHS Trust celebrated throughout the day to help shine the light on all those who provide care and compassion through the inspiring profession.
The Trust gifted posies of flowers to nurses across the organisation in a heart-warming sign of support. Stories from nurses throughout the Trust were also shared through video and Zoom to help everyone in Solent stay connected and celebrate together.