The SCR Chambers: Doncaster Celebrating Doncaster Business Heroes


The Covid-19 pandemic was as devastating as it was unforeseen, but out of crisis emerged heroes. Those people and organisations didn’t do it for recognition. They did because it was the right thing to do and they knew they could help. We launched our #DNBusinessHeroes campaign to recognise and thank those who stepped up to the plate to help others.


Doncaster Business Heroes


Knowledge Pool are #doingitfordoncaster


So, she wrote a proposal to receive a fund


(the Doncaster Community Fighting Back fund) from the Doncaster Council. With the funding, she has collaborated on creating a 102-page Digital Guide that is ready to distribute to 200 individuals who need it and has secured 90 days free internet access for 10 households. She will also be hosting an additional 20 telephone and virtual IT training sessions to assist the Guide recipients (and the recipients of the devices in the DevicesDotNow project), help them make the most of their devices and become more digitally savvy during this time.


Hotel Chef switches day job for front line volunteer


During the Covid-19 crisis, Director and Founder of Knowledge Pool, Yetunde Elebuibon-Craig, has been working on several projects: DevicesDotNow, BME United training and the Doncaster Community Fighting Back Fund.


DevicesDotNow The DevicesDotNow scheme is a scheme that is helping vulnerable and digitally excluded people (who are part of the 1.9 million digitally excluded households) across the country to stay connected and in touch during this crisis. Yetunde managed the process of identifying


ten individuals ranging from: a mother of six children with no device to study, a young man only able to communicate via his friends' phone, a 71-year-old self-isolating woman unable to order her prescriptions and a registered-blind self-isolating man who hadn't been able to contact his children in months, to name a few. She delivered the devices (fully set up) to the recipients and managed the follow-up process to get them comfortable with using them.


BME United Doncaster Yetunde gave BME United Doncaster the idea to set up and launch virtual classes for their members and the wider community. She created an e-calendar to communicate the event across channels. She then helped them with the process of setting up a virtual collaborative tool. She now teaches virtual IT classes twice a week as part of BME United Doncaster.


Doncaster Community Fighting Back Fund Yetunde had been teaching novice IT speakers who spoke very little English at Changing Lives and the Quaker House since January 2020. When the crisis hit, she was concerned about how they would cope with it, as well as the digitally excluded, self-isolating, and in some cases, elderly members of the community would function.


36 CHAMBERconnect Summer 2020


The Crown Hotel Bawtry Chef Keegan James Loveday has switched his day job as a chef to becoming a Service Assistant Volunteer for the NHS based at the local Doncaster Royal Infirmary. Keegan, from Retford, was put on furlough


after the hotel closed its doors following Government guidelines with Covid-19 in March. Keegan said: “I was devastated as I love my


job, but found after two weeks of just being home I needed to do something to help out during the crisis - and what better way than working as a Service Assistant volunteer in the hospital. I applied online and after various security checks I was accepted. My jobs have involved cleaning wards and public areas, moving patients around the hospital, helping with laundry and post – the list is endless but I am enjoying a new challenge while knowing I am helping out during these trying times.” Keegan has been in position for nearly a


month now and admits it is a very different working environment and seeing all sides of life in the hospital. He added: “Working in the PPE is a challenge


while complying with social distancing measures and procedures, but I am used to working in the


heat and pressure of a busy commercial kitchen at the Crown. Just being able to get out of the house and help and meet a wide variety of people has helped me out mentally. Once the hotel re-opens though I cannot wait to get back being behind the hot plate serving our delicious food – especially my favourites, scallops and steak!”


Local business donates over 10,000 meals for NHS workers


Paul Sutherland (CEO) is Doncaster born and bred. Paul and his wife, Natalie (Director), set up MechFS over a decade ago. They are very active in the Doncaster community and, as a business, MechFS is involved in many charities and local organisations in the area. As soon as the coronavirus pandemic began


to take hold they wanted to help the local community and began to personally investigate how they could achieve this. When Paul and Natalie heard that the NHS staff at DRI were struggling for meals onsite during their shifts, they reached out to Tom Bracha of Yellow Bus Catering and organised and funded the food truck to be located at DRI for three weeks to feed the staff. Once Paul and Natalie had ensured that the


food bus could be accommodated, they asked if any of the MechFS team would like to volunteer to assist with the project, alongside themselves. The Sutherlands received an overwhelming response, both from the NHS workers that are being fed, and from their employees who are really engaged in the project. The food truck now distributes over 500 meals a day and, as a result of this success, Paul and Natalie have organised for the food truck to attend Bassetlaw Hospital for a further week after the initial three weeks at DRI. “The Sutherlands really lead their team by


example and have inspired us all with their commitment to the community of Doncaster and, in particular, to our NHS heroes.”


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