DANNY BATTH is fully aware of food shortages right now due to supermarket panic-buying – as his mum works in Sainsbury’s.
So the Stoke star on Thursday took 300 parcels of essentials to his birthplace, Russells Hall Hospital in Dudley, and donated them to NHS staff.
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Danny Batth paid for the boxes that included pasta, rice, juice, toilet rolls, cleaning products and bread
The Stoke City star took 300 parcels of essentials to NHS workers in Dudley
He hopes to continue the good-will gesture with the help of the public to other hospitals like the Royal Stoke in the coming weeks.
Batth, 29, told SunSport: “There have been reports of nurses and doctors struggling to get food at the end of a long shift.
“We felt that we could help the people who are most under pressure at this time.
“Going to the hospital, you got a real feel for what the staff are up against. Even walking through the entrance, you could see all the signs about social distancing and hand gels.
“Speaking to the nurses, they said they were OK with the number of patients now but fearing the worst. It was alarming.
“One cried when they heard about the amount of food we had brought and said the department was really overwhelmed by the generosity. I’m glad we could help just a little bit.”
The boxes, which Batth himself paid for, included pasta, rice, juice, toilet rolls, cleaning products and bread, supplied by local business MKG Foods.
His mother Stella has been able to provide a first-hand account of how bare aisles have become since the Coronavirus pandemic arrived.
Batth recognises how important her job is right now – but cannot help worrying for her safety.
Her main concern is that not everyone adheres to the social distancing.
Stoke City’s Danny Batth speaking about his mum
The ex-Wolves stalwart explained: “The panic-buying has calmed down a bit now but her main concern is that not everyone adheres to the social distancing, especially with people rushing down aisles.
“She’s been trying to keep her distance but is obviously at risk.
“It is worrying. But she’s right in saying she’s a key-worker at the moment because, as simple as it sounds, keeping the shelves stacked is actually very, very important.
“If everyone hid away and went off sick, there would be more panic and that’s the last thing we need at the moment.”
Batth has been helping others for many years now via his charity, Foundation DB, which he runs with wife Natalie and primarily seeks to raise money to combat homelessness in Wolverhampton.
The foundation also works with three organisations including the local YMCA Open Door, that helps children off the street and back into education or work, and Help Refugees UK.
The third is a school in India called YUWA, which helps young girls into education and out of child marriage – a common problem out there – through things like football.
YUWA has had to close down temporarily right now as India is on lockdown as we are in the UK.
Batth, who is of English and Sikh Punjabi descent, feels we are seeing two sides of society during this COVID-19 crisis.
While he believes any wage deferrals introduced by clubs struggling financially during this period should also include players as well as staff.
The centre-back, who has been kept busy by his eight-month-old daughter Sofia during lockdown, said: “I think increasingly you’re starting to see the best and the worst in people.
NHS workers were extremely grateful for his generosity
The 29-year-old hopes to continue the good-will gesture with the help of the public to other hospitals
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“There is some great work being done by a lot of people and then there are some people who are more frightened and, in a selfish way, looking at what they can do to be safe.
“I don’t think any player would want to see staff at their club getting laid off or told they’re not going to get paid.
“If a club is in a position where they are saying they can’t pay their staff at the stadium or training ground for a few months, then I think pay deferrals for players is a sensible thing to do.”
Batth has been helping others via his charity, Foundation DBCredit: PA:Empics Sport
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
