A COUNCIL worker from Southampton is turning to the public to help her raise funds to buy a home for NHS staff.

The idea to rent out a house came to Fleur Hunter, 62, one morning, having spent years wanting to create a permanent memorial to her husband.

Her husband Osmond William Hunter died in 1979 from a brain aneurysm at the Whittington Hospital in North London, at age 41.

This left the children's services worker at Southampton City Council, Fleur, with two baby boys to bring up by herself, but she kept going and continued to rent out bedsits in their home while living in the downstairs flat in London.

She married again four years later and moved to Southampton, and now lives by herself in over-60s housing following a divorce five years ago.

Fleur said: "It came to me one morning and woke me up, which seems utterly ridiculous as I sleep well and don't think about things too deeply.

"I won't be getting any financial gain out of this, it isn't a get-rich-quick scheme. I will be renting half of it out to general workers and the other half rent-free to NHS workers."

She said it will work on a nominated temporary basis, meaning a nearby hospital such as Southampton General Hospital could offer the home to a new nurse.

Fleur hopes to buy a house within a three-mile radius of the hospital, such as in the Lordshill area, but said her dream would be to buy one in North London.

The home will be called the Nightingale Home in respect of the new Nightingale Hospital opened in London, as well as legendary nurse trainer Florence Nightingale.

She added: "I've put down a £5,000 target on the fundraiser, which might work and take off, but I don't want to put a price down on it - I initially targeted for £500,000.

"If it exceeds my dreams, it would be a home in North London to pay a debt of gratitude to Osmond - where we lived together - as I've always wanted to have a permanent memorial for him.

"This will be a reminder of what happened in 2020, with many of NHS workers dying and risking their lives, and will show the generosity of the British public who make this possible. It will work, I know it will."

Fleur plans to launch the Osmond William Hunter Foundation if she raises enough money to buy the home.

She said this is where money from paying renters will be kept to maintain the home, which Fleur plans to keep to a good standard.

To donate, visit www.gofundme.com/f/nowhelpourstaff.