A dessert shop has been keeping key workers' morale high with a generous supply of treats.

Vanilla Joe’s, in Irvine, made a massive food donation of 2,500 tubs of ice cream.

The dessert emporium gave so much that a consultant travelled around the wards playing a jingle and handing out the treats.

A spokesperson for Vanilla Joe's told the Times: "We felt overwhelmed to help in any way that we could. Vanilla Joe’s is all about making people smile with our delicious fresh gelato.

"They had been having issues receiving delivery of freezers due to national demand. Once the freezers arrived we started delivering as many one scoop portion pots as they could take.

"We will be delivering more next week and whenever we can. We wanted the NHS staff to know that we are behind them all the way and hoped that we could put a smile on their faces and lift their spirits even just for a moment during these dark times.

"I also want to mention that we know all the emergency services are under pressure and shop workers and we are extremely grateful to them all.

"The staff at Crosshouse are sleeping at the hospital and then working so having ready meals there is important.

"We are touched by the private messages of thanks and photos from the teams at Crosshouse and are delighted our ice cream has been so appreciated.

"It’s with huge thanks to our amazing team at Vanilla Joe’s that have helped make this possible. Although we are closed to the public our factory setup allowed us to continue production while adhering to strict government guidelines on social distancing.

A manager at Crosshouse told Vanilla Joe's: "I did the rounds just after you left and it brought the biggest smiles to everyone, from the head doctor, nurses, cleaners, receptionists, porters, paramedics and all the rest of us workers and some patients too.

"Medicine is more than the work, it's the caring that gets us through and you've all be a huge part of it."

Lynsey Kellington, a nursing assistant in Intensive Care at Crosshouse, said: “It’s just amazing, wee treats.

“You definitely get a sense of the appreciation people feel.”

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