Rotary Club honours Woodside Sanctuary nurses
COTTESLOE – The Rotary Club of Northcliff and Johannesburg New Dawn in conjunction with the Department of Health presented a certificate of appreciation to the nurses of Woodside Sanctuary for their tireless work during the Covid-19 pandemic on 20 October.
President of the Rotary Club of Northcliff Francis Callard said, “This is the 200th year of celebrating nursing in the honour of Florence Nightingale, and we thought it was fitting to show some appreciation to the hard work and effort Woodside’s nurses have put in during this time.”
Callard said the club runs a programme through their Rotary districts in Southern Africa called the Rotary Family Health Day, where they assist the provincial and national health department to man satellite clinics to help those who could not reach clinics in metropolitan areas to get medical care where they need it.
“We could not organise this year due to the Covid-19 pandemic, so we thought that we would try our utmost to participate in appreciating the Year of the Nurse. Nurses have been on the frontline of the battle against Covid-19, and so many other ailments they have sacrificed their time for in care,” he said.
General manager of Woodside Sanctuary Kirsten Williams added that the certificate of appreciation given to the sanctuary’s nurses will serve as a way to appreciate their selfless service. “Rotary has always been involved in Woodside Sanctuary in one way or another. Every year they provide support to our nurses in raising funding for the tools needed for them to care for our children. Flu vaccines have been tremendously important this year, and their help has provided us with a solid fight against the pandemic,” said Williams.
The certificate reiterated the Nurse’s Pledge of Service and stated that the sanctuary’s nurses are shining examples of thereof.
The Rotary Club has been involved with the Woodside Sanctuary since 1955 when it was started by a group of Rotarians and has helped to provide various contributions in keeping the sanctuary running since then.
Williams said that while support from organisations like Rotary and the Department of Health is always appreciated, the centre is always in need of support from the wider community. “We are in constant need of financial support, but we value donations in toiletries, nappies, blankets, clothing and anything you can think of that will brighten the day of a child in need,” concluded Williams.
Details: Woodside Sanctuary www.woodside.co.za
