A NORTH Berwick business has helped a nurse to win a hotel stay anywhere in the world in appreciation of her efforts in the battle against Covid-19 and raising thousands of pounds for patient care packages.

Alison Williams, a research nurse at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, was nominated in the holiday competition by Rock My World Travel of North Berwick.

The 41-year-old Edinburgh resident, who visited North Berwick on holidays as a child, has been branded a “superhero” after raising more than £29,000 in her campaign to create ‘Rainbow Boxes’ for patients.

The campaign started after Alison witnessed first-hand that several patients had few personal items as family members were unable to visit them, so did not have basic items such as pyjamas and toiletries.

She said: “A lot of people were being admitted in emergency situations so they didn’t have and were missing essential items, from nightwear to phone chargers.”

She added that other initiatives aimed to help nurses, whereas this specifically helped patients.

The mum of two, who studied at Napier University and qualified in 2001, then came up with the idea to get these items to the patients and launched a campaign on a local Facebook group, Edinburgh Gossip Girls, with the original aim of raising £500 to create the boxes.

To date the total stands at more than £29,300, with a further £25,000 donated from RBS, bringing the total raised to more than £50,0000.

Alison said: “The £500 target was smashed in a few minutes.”

She now has a small team of people supporting her.

She added: “We have enough money to last until October but hopefully things will be back to normal [by then] and people can come in on visits and the need won’t be as great.”

Boxes are delivered to all 60 wards in the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, as well as nearby hospices and the East Lothian Community Hospital in Haddington.

Her campaign, alongside her job as a nurse and working during the current coronavirus crisis, led to her being nominated in the holiday competition by Rock My World Travel.

The competition was featured in Travel Weekly, a travel industry trade magazine, and run by travel company Stuba, in recognition of the hard work of local heroes who have emerged during the pandemic.

People were in with a chance of winning a £300 hotel voucher. Alison was one of 20 national winners.

Isobel McCardie, who runs Rock My World Travel alongside her husband Mark, nominated Alison.

Isobel, who lives in North Berwick, said: “When I saw what Alison was doing, it instantly resonated with me.

“Not only was she on the frontline fighting Covid-19, but her compassion for the patients inspired her to go further.

“As soon as I saw the competition, I instantly thought of Alison. She has been completely selfless in this entire task and is working tirelessly, I can’t think of anyone who deserves a break more.”

On the nomination, Alison said: “I only knew about it when she phoned me and told me I’d won. It’s really nice that someone who doesn’t know me nominated me. It’s amazing and flattering.”

Alison plans to take her colleague Rachel, who has been working tirelessly to help Alison with her campaign.

When asked if she had decided where to go, Alison said: “I’m not wanting to go too far. I’ll possibly go somewhere in Scotland.”