Staff on the Covid wards at Stoke Mandeville Hospital in Aylesbury have been thanked in the best way possible - with a welcome gift of two freezers that will enable them to grab some food during their busy shifts.

Such are the pressures of working within the NHS at the moment, that staff are often unable to stop for meals and are using ice cubes as a way of staying hydrated during their busy shifts.

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Buckinghamshire Freemasons saw a post on Facebook asking for assistance to buy two freezers so they could take in food and provide easy access to this important, hydrating ice.

They contacted Paula Thompkins from Haddenham who was leading the fundraising and found one fridge had been funded thanks to the generosity of the public. Bucks Freemasons immediately paid for the second.

Bill Smithson, of Haddenham Lodge, arranged to pick up the freezers from Paula and deliver them to the hospital with the help of Steve Smirthwaite.

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They were gratefully received, with one ward sister saying: "We never wanted to ask for anything or be a burden because we know so many people are out of work, so this is incredibly kind and we can't thank you enough."

Following on from this, the Freemasons of Buckinghamshire will be providing coffee machines and fridges for other wards in the upcoming days to further help those working in unimaginable environments.