Hands Across Wakefield hailed a 'success' as thousands line the streets to celebrate hospital's anniversary
Thousands of people lined the streets of Wakefield to celebrate Pinderfields Hospital’s 125th anniversary and to honour the local Mid Yorkshire Teaching NHS Trust.
‘Hands Across Wakefield’ saw almost 2000 people form a human chain that stretched from Pinderfields Hospital to Wakefield Cathedral today (March 7).
The chain of people aimed to symbolise unity, compassion, and support for healthcare in the community – and was planned to coincide with the Wakefield hospital’s milestone 125th anniversary.
The day began with a speech from the Mayor of Wakefield, Darren Byford, who praised Pinderfields Hospital.
He said: "Pinderfields is at the heart of the Wakefield community and has been for the past 125 years.
"Today is all about raising the awareness of this hospital, raising some funds and bridging the gap by people holding hands between here and the Cathedral.”
Those part of the chain near Pinderfields were cheered on by the hospital’s staff choir who performed the fitting song, ‘Hold My Hand’ by Jess Glynne.
As the sun shined across the district, participants took to the streets holding hands at 12.45pm exactly to form the chain from one side on the city centre to the other.
Emma Dickens, head of charity at My Hospitals Charity and creator of ‘Hands Across Wakefield’, shared her joy over the event’s success: “I am so proud and so pleased – it's been exhilarating, stressful, and now very exciting!
“The community support has been amazing and I’m thankful for everyone that took part.
“I think it’s been all hands on deck and all these months of work and coordinating and planning has finally come together!”
‘Hands Across Wakefield’ has been months in the making, with the idea coming to Emma whilst she was on holiday a year ago.
"I was reading about Hands Across America, which was an attempt in the 1980s to join one side of America to the other in a human chain.” Emma continued.
"They needed over one million people and I was inspired and thought surely we can do something like that in Wakefield.”
Chain participants included staff and patients from the hospital and Trust, members of local community groups, schoolchildren and a few famous faces.
Former footballer, and Freedom of Wakefield recipient, Chris Kamara MBE, was one member of the chain at the Cathedral end.
On participating in the event, he said: “To be apart of something that’s never been done in the UK – I was always going to get involved.
"Pinderfields is an incredible hospital.
"You can speak to people as far away as St. Ives and they will know about the hospital and the help it provides.”
Another participant was Chief Nursing Officer at Pinderfields Hospital, Talib Yaseen, who kept spirits up at the Pinderfields’ side of the chain.
On why he joined, he said: “We want to connect to the community we serve, and the best way to do that is to participate in great events like this.
"Whatever our job, whatever our role, we're all here to support the hospital, deliver great care to our patients that we serve, and also make it a great place to work.
"We all committed to the hospital, and hopefully it will continue like that for a very long time - for another 125 years!”