The Friends of Eastbourne Hospital received a lovely invitation from the Building for our Future Team to visit the Staff Restaurant and Coffee Shop as a thank you for the funding the Friends had provided towards the areas’ refurbishment.
Following a successful bid from the Building for our Future team, the Friends contributed £10,000 to the Workscape Project, for furniture to improve and enhance the space. The project was completed at the beginning of the year and the restaurant now features a mixture of modern, vibrant furniture in an open and spacious environment, achieving the aim of providing flexible space for staff breaks and lunch, but also facilitating informal conversations outside of the lunchtime period. The coffee shop area has been designed with a similar, modern theme, in fresh greens and greys, and is permanently open for staff to use on their breaks.
On arrival, representatives from the Friends, including Chairman Harry Walmsley, President Sandy Boyce-Sharpe and Trustees Margaret Lonsdale, Ann Caffyn and Terry Henson were warmly welcomed into the area. They were presented with a cream tea and scone spread, prepared on-site by the manager of Catering Operations, Andrew Park, who himself spoke passionately about the restaurant and the services the catering team offer to both patients and staff across the hospital.
Joe Chadwick-Bell, Chief Executive of ESHT, attended the event and spoke very highly of not only the area and the Friends’ donation, but of the team who had made it happen. She explained that the previous, tired furniture had been there for some 30 years and looked dated and uninspiring. The Building for our Future Team’s hard work and vision meant that the space was now a fresh, new environment which would provide necessary time out for colleagues. She also thanked the Friends not only for their contribution to the restaurant but for all the fundraising they do on behalf of the DGH.
