Herts Heroes: The UH Venues team

Our UH Venues teams have banded together with other organisations to support our NHS, health and social care workers and those on the front line. From new initiatives and donations to support groups and good will, everyone is doing their bit and we are proud to call UH Venues our Herts Heroes today.

Meet the team

The UH Venues team work in the University to manage our different venues and spaces and help run events for staff, students and the wider community. The team is made up of event advisors, AV technicians, catering staff and administrators who work with people across the University and with local businesses. Find out more about them here.

Given the current circumstances events have decreased but this hasn't stopped the team from working hard and thinking about how they can support others during this crisis.

UH Venues operating team

How they are supporting the fight against COVID-19

Simon Freeman, UH Venues Manager, has spent the last few weeks talking to local businesses and frontline workers about what they need. He even reached out to family and friends, which is when Simon's sister put out an urgent plea for more personal protective equipment (PPE) at her work, Isabel House Hospice.

Simon and the team quickly donated 500 disposable gloves and 40 masks to Isabel House Hospice, which was originally intended for people who cleaned the ovens at the UH Venues sites. Simon said: 

"My sister was incredibly grateful but she explained that our donation would only last a day. I didn't realise how much of a shortage there was of equipment. We didn't need the PPE and I wish we could send more."

The team has also been involved with the 'Salute the NHS' campaign, which is a non-profit initiative aiming to deliver one million meals in 3 months to feed our NHS workers.  In support of the campaign, UH Venues has been working with Yodel by providing the Fielder Centre car park for 24 hrs free of charge for the delivery drivers. Proud of their support, Simon said: 

"As a business, we wanted to replicate the inspiring behaviour of the Salute the NHS campaign. It is a privilege to be able to support our NHS workforce."

PPE donated to Isabel House Hospice

Continuing the support

As well as this, UH Venues have been talking to local food delivery business, Ocado, about driver training, and the UH Paramedic Science group and the East of England Ambulance Service about offering them free training space. They are also looking at ways to accommodate NHS, carers and other front line workers in our accommodation.

Additionally, the team are working with the Police on their Police Now scheme, which will be training up 300 new police officers over 6 weeks during the Summer on our de Havilland campus. This will help the national effort to increase our Police by 20,000 officers.

Thank you

We want to thank the UH Venues team for their outstanding contribution to this national effort and for using their skill set to work differently and give back. Thank you for being our Herts Heroes.