BIG-hearted villagers are doing their bit to help our NHS heroes, by providing more than 300 care packs to local front line staff.

Householders in Long Wittenham, near Didcot, are rallying to offer support to health and care workers battling coronavirus.

Villager Emma Newman, who came up with the idea said: “I read a heart-warming report from Sandy Taylor, a local Ambulance Care Assistant working for the South Central Ambulance Service, who was taking recovered Covid-19 patients back home to their families. He wrote about what a challenging time it was.

“I asked whether there was anything they needed and it emerged that there are lots of things that would make their working days just that little bit easier. We decided as a village to supply cake and personal care packs for frontline staff”

A call has also gone out asking for donations to support about 300 members of staff at the ambulance service, and medics at Oxford University Hospitals and Abingdon Hospital, where staff are looking after patients discharged from the lager centres needing to free up beds for Covid-19 patients.

Sally Duff, Long Wittenham parish councillor said: “We have asked children to include homemade thank you cards and, within social distancing rules, we will be packaging up the cakes along with donations of personal care items, such as hand cream, at the village hall. Then our volunteers will get them out to people working so hard to support others.”

Businesses are being asked for contributions of hand cream, hand wash, face wipes, moisturiser, lip balm, shower gel, deodorants and laundry tablets and cash donations. Items can be left at a contactless drop off point at Long Wittenham Village Hall on Sunday, May 10 between 10am and 2pm.

Go to longwittenham.com