Donation to help Merton House help others

Updated: 28 Jan 2025

North Gloucestershire Oddfellows has donated £1000 to Merton House in Ross-on-Wye to help the hotel, which offers specialist care breaks, get back on its feet after a temporary closure due to the pandemic. This local gesture is on top of a central donation of £5000 from the Oddfellows earlier in the year.

 
Pictured L-R: Garth Morgan, North Gloucestershire District Branch Trustee and Graham Jenkins, Hotel Manager.

Now re-opened, the hotel is grateful for the latest kindness the friendship group has shown during 2020, which is on top of more than eight years of support through donations and providing key equipment.

Graham Jenkins, Hotel Manager at Merton House Hotel, said: “2020 has been one of our most difficult years to date. The pandemic meant we had to close our doors for a significant amount of time. With new social distancing rules in place, we are looking forward to providing the high standard of care our guests expect from us, and this donation from the Oddfellows and North Gloucestershire Oddfellows will go a long way in helping us to do that.”

Alex Walker, Branch Development Officer for the North Gloucestershire District of the Oddfellows, also commented: “For many years, Merton House Hotel has provided care for our members when they’ve needed a supported break away, and we were keen to help them reopen in any way we could, when it was safe to do so.

“We hope this donation goes some way in helping the hotel to continue to give people the chance to have time away, and to receive any specialist help they need.”

Merton House Hotel is one of the Oddfellows’ chosen providers for respite breaks, as it provides support to members following an illness, operation, accident, bereavement or traumatic experience.

To find out more about North Gloucestershire Oddfellows and how the friendship group helps its members with social, care and wellbeing support locally, and to receive their latest events diary, contact Stuart Walker, Branch Secretary, on 01989 564871 or email stuart.walker@oddfellows.co.uk.

The Oddfellows and its branches regularly fundraise and make donations for good causes, charities and to help its communities. Find out more about how we give back.