PAINTED pebbles bring great joy to those who find them, now a senior nurse is using the same concept to boost the morale of her colleagues at the Royal Bolton Hospital during these testing times.

Theatre Recovery Sister Lynette Halliwell has given out 40 pebbles each of which she has marked with a special supportive message.

The idea started when she gave pebbles to her three children to keep in their pocket.

“I told them it would mean I would always be with them,” she said. “At work just now there is a lot of uncertainty but people are really stepping up and giving extra. I wanted to tell them that they are braver than they think and that we are in this together, so I decided to make pebbles for them too.”

Lynette, from Wigan and who has worked for Bolton NHS Foundation Trust for around 20 years, says she finds crafts a distraction and she set up a production line in the kitchen with her children to make the little stones.

Among the member of staff who received a pebbled was Theatre Practitioner Heather Talbot, from Horwich.

She wrote on Twitter: “You know you are part of a great team/family when Sister has made these for the recovery team.”

Heather said: “I’d been listening to the radio that morning and had a little weep and when Lynette brought in the pebbles I started to cry again. We’ve all been working really hard to prepare and this made me feel very supported.”