Pub landlady who volunteered on Covid positive ward in Northampton wins ‘Everyday Hero’ award

A pub landlady who delivered food to those isolating before taking up a volunteer role on a Covid positive ward has won a national award.

Suzy Keeping, who owns the Old White Hart in Far Cotton, has been selected as one of five ‘Everyday Heroes’.

The initiative run by O2 rewards individuals or local businesses across the country who have helped their communities and gone the extra mile during the pandemic.

Suzy said: “I did not know anything about the award until they rang me to tell me I’d been shortlisted, but since I announced I’ve won a few people have said they nominated me.

“It’s not why you do the things you do, but it is very humbling and flattering that people went out of their way to nominate me.

“I did not see what I was doing as a big deal at the time, but this award has made me think it is quite a big thing that I have done.”

Before her pub was ordered to close, Suzy, alongside other local women, set up the Far Cotton and Delapre community support group.

With other volunteers, Suzy delivered food shopping to those who were self isolating or could not find what they needed when supermarket stock was running low, as well as hot meals and ‘generosity baskets’ to those in the community who could not afford essentials.

The 25-year-old added: “We knew lockdown was coming so we started the group just before we had to close the pub so we could start building a local support network.

“We wanted people to feel like they could ask for help if they needed it.”

Around a month into lockdown the Government made a call for volunteers to support the NHS, which Suzy applied to do and was then asked to work on a Covid positive ward.

Due to the risk of transmission, Suzy made the decision to stop the delivery service, which she was running from the pub.

When the delivery service ended, there was around £12,000 of food left, which Suzy donated to a local food bank, so that she could then take up the voluntary role.

“When they asked me how I felt about working on a Covid positive ward, I just thought ‘if I’m going to do it, I might as well do it properly’,” Suzy continued.

“I’m 25 and relatively healthy so I thought, statistically, I had a low chance of really suffering if I did get it and I’d already made the decision to stay at the pub away from family.

“I saw it as our generation’s war. It’s a really big thing that everyone has to do together.

“In 20 years time I don’t want to look back and think that I sat at home getting agitated, I want to say I did all I could to help.”

During her time on the ward, Suzy spent four days a week feeding and washing patients, filling in paperwork and facilitating FaceTime calls to loved ones, as well as other tasks she was asked to do.

“The whole team had our ups and downs,” she added.

“One day we’d feel really positive and we’d see patients coming in and going home, then other days we’d feel really down.

“I initially thought that if I wasn’t on ICU I wouldn’t see any deaths, but we had a lot of deaths.

“It was emotionally tough, but we were all there to support each other.

“I’m really glad I did it and I would 100 percent do it again in a heartbeat.

“I also feel really humbled to have met some great people through the group and at the hospital.”

When her business was allowed to reopen, Suzy finished her volunteering role, but she has been asked back to the hospital to mentor the new intake of volunteers.

The support group, which is now run from the community centre at Far Cotton Recreation Ground, also continues and is still delivering hot meals to around 135 families every day.

Message from the editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

In order for us to continue to provide trusted local news on this free-to-read site, I am asking you to also please purchase a copy of our newspaper.

Our journalists are highly trained and our content is independently regulated by IPSO to some of the highest standards in the world. The dramatic events of 2020 are having a major impact on many of our local valued advertisers and consequently the advertising that we receive. We are now more reliant than ever on you helping us to provide you with news by buying a copy of our newspaper.

Thank you