06/04/2020
NEWS STORY
As McLaren puts the majority of its workforce on furlough - thereby allowing the British taxpayer to pick up the tab - former boss, Ron Dennis has been revealed as the driving force behind a scheme to provide one million free meals to NHS workers during the coronavirus crisis.
Dennis reveals that he was alerted to the problems facing NHS workers by his daughter Charlotte, who is an anaesthetist at an intensive care unit.
"Charlotte came to me with a very human and personal problem, and the foundation wants to take care of it," he tells the Telegraph. "That's what it's all about.
"She said the problem is that there are quantities of medical staff in a specific section who have to stay in their clinical areas due to cross-contamination, keeping them away from eating areas. By the time the food gets to them it'll be cold.
"This is a time when all of us, individuals and businesses alike, need to stand up and be counted in the effort to combat Covid-19," added the Briton, who has co-founded the SalutetheNHS.org initiative.
"We're all in this together," he continued. "I am delighted to be leading this initiative to help ensure that vital NHS workers have nutritious meals while they work every hour in this fight. It means they have one less thing to worry about.
"We have called this SalutetheNHS.org because I think we are all in awe of the work they are doing to save lives," added Dennis, who has donated £1m to the initiative through Dream Chasing Foundation and has personally pledged a further £500,000.
"It is our joint aim to prioritise the well-being of our NHS workforce in their mission to give the very best care to patients and victory over Covid-19," said Ellie Orton, chief executive of NHS Charities Together.
"We thank them for this highly dedicated and organised solution and we particularly love the thank-you notes in each food pack demonstrating to NHS staff how grateful we all are."
SalutetheNHS.org is calling for supporters to donate or make a contribution by calling its dedicated hotline (0800 497 0797) or visiting the campaign's Just Giving page.
Well done that man.