THE "THANK YOU" PIN IN AID OF
NHS CHARITIES TOGETHER
A SYMBOL OF OUR TIME
In 2021 TMB collaborated with NHS Charities Together on a fund raising lapel pin designed around clapping hands cast in aluminium from a 1940 Spitfire, linking it with the Battle of Britain of 1940 when the pilots of RAF’s Fighter Command saved this country from enemy invasion during their “Finest Hour” – for there was a synergy with what the NHS had been doing to battle the tyranny of Covid-19 to safeguard us all in their “Finest Hour”. At the time I said:
Over the past eighteen months there cannot be anyone who hasn’t felt empathy and pride in the NHS and the incredible work the Service’s personnel have performed on our behalf in the war on Covid-19, risking their lives whilst most of us were secure at home. During that time many of these selfless and brave, but otherwise just ordinary, people have performed extraordinarily, putting their very lives and health in harm’s way, whilst fighting to protect us from this deadly virus in an unprecedented situation.
Christopher Bennett of TMB Art Metal felt a need to do something to say “Thank You” to these heroic people, whilst also raising funds for the NHS. Such an initiative should be a pin badge, but in what form? From the early days of the pandemic clapping hands became a national symbol of gratitude to the NHS and so surely a form of clapping hands would make a fitting and appropriate design for a “Thank You” fund raising pin. A national “symbol of our time” that could be worn to show our thanks for the staff of the NHS, later becoming a keepsake of the pandemic to be cherished and handed down, whilst also raising funds for NHS Charities Together.
Sadly, the pins failed to attract media attention and TMB was left with around 4,000 of the beautiful items with no home. This year is the 75th anniversary of the NHS and surely the year to make good use of the pins to say ‘thank you’ to, and help raise funds for, the NHS.
To that end Christopher Bennett and TMB will be donating the pins at zero cost to three NHS hospital trusts who helped magnificently in 2021 to create the pins. The idea is that the pins can be obtained from the hospitals ‘free’, to either wear or to gift to a member of staff to say ‘thank you’ – all we’d ask is that you make a suitable donation of your choice to the NHS as outlined at the hospital.
Participating NHS Trusts:
University Hospitals Coventry & Warwickshire NHS Trust
Harrogate and District NHS Foundation Trust
Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust (Ealing)
Below is the intriguing background to the pins featured on the website of 2021:
THE HANDS COMING TOGETHER
An idea was formed to base the design around the hands of six members of NHS staff from the Covid front-line, representing all the NHS staff fighting the Covid war. With the help of NHS Charities Together, TMB recruited six ambassadors whose hands were photographed, so using CAD technology they could be amalgamated into our clapping hands design.
Our CAD designer, Tim Milward, took the six pairs of hands photographs and built the CAD design around them.
The essential form is based upon Fathma Shabbir’s hands, then elements from the other five were added on.
Fathma Shabbir: Overall hand and finger shape
May Parsons: Fingernails and left thumb
Dr Amie Burbridge: Finger detail and back of hand texture
Samuel Opoku-Mensah: Knuckle and back of hand texture
Faisal Yousaf: Middle creases on the fingers
Kathryn Gill: Finger textures
THE HANDS
It became a difficult job to select our six ‘hands ambassadors’ because there were so many people who we felt should be involved, but we are incredibly honoured and proud to have met six
people who we feel very much represent all those who work tirelessly on the NHS front line on a daily basis. Each of our ambassadors supplied photographs of the back of the right hand and
palm of the left, which Tim Milward took and ‘melded’ into our 3D clapping hands design. They also provided a bit of background on their Covid experiences, which makes humbling reading.
We’re very proud to introduce:
May Parsons
Interim Matron for Respiratory Medicine
Fathma Shabbir
ITU Junior Nurse
Dr. Amie Burbridge
Consultant Acute/General Internal Medicine
Samuel Opoku-Mensah
Kershaw Ward Manager
Faisal Yousaf
Porter
Kathryn Gill
Rapid Response Sister
THE MAKING
Using the amazing CAD created design based on our NHS Hands Ambassadors hands, the next fascinating and dramatic process is to physically turn the 1940 Spitfire metal into actual three dimensional The “Thank You” Pins. See here the intriguing process as to how that’s achieved:
THE CHARITY
An obvious beneficial partner in our The Clapping Hands this fund raising project was NHS Charities Together, the national charity caring for the NHS, an independent national charity Partner and umbrella organisation made up of 240 NHS member charities based within hospitals, mental health trusts, ambulance trusts, community health trusts and health boards across the UK. Funds raised by NHS Charities Together enable projects that improve services for patients and helps NHS staff practically and emotionally, so they can continue with their vital life-saving work.
Whilst the National Health Service itself is government funded, NHS Charities Together ensures funds get spent where most needed, improving services for patients and helping NHS staff and volunteers both practically and emotionally, so that they can continue with their vital life-saving work. Post Covid pandemic that need cannot have ever been greater. To that end The “Thank You” Pin in aid of NHS Charities Together will benefit the charity by £10 from the sale of each and every pin sold.
Ellie Orton, Chief Executive of NHS Charities Together comments “I love this project and want to thank Chris and the team at TMB Art Metal for everything they have done to raise funds for our Covid appeal. This new pin design is fantastic and a lovely tribute to the NHS staff who have worked so tirelessly to keep us all safe and well throughout the pandemic. I urge people to buy one, as it will mean we can do even more to support all NHS staff, volunteers and patients caught up in all this.”