North West Ambulance Service Charity Newsletter

Issue 2 Autumn/Winter 2024

CHARITY NEWSLETTER

Welcome and meet the Charity Team Community heroes Our impact Health and wellbeing projects Join our lottery!

North West Ambulance Charity NWAS Headquarters, Ladybridge Hall, 399 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 5DD. Registered Charity Number: 1122470 Charity.Office@nwas.nhs.uk

nwas.nhs.uk/charity

Welcome

To the second issue of our charity newsletter.

In this issue we share some stories about our very special charity supporters, who have been doing amazing things to raise vital funds this year.

We talk about the life-saving impact our charity is having, as well as a selection of projects we fund to support staff and volunteers.

You can also read about our lottery and new seasonal fundraiser, the Winter Robin Appeal.

Everything we do is over and above the amount that NHS budgets can achieve, so thank you for being a valued supporter of the NWAS Charity.

Thank you, the Charity Team.

Meet the charity team!

‘Hello’ from Head of Charity Ian Savage, Charity Administrator Melanie Alway and Fundraising Manager Roya Armstrong.

Our small but mighty charity team wants to say a huge thank you for taking the time to support us, in whatever way that might be. From following us on social media, to playing our lottery, or sponsoring a friend or colleague, your support is vital to our work. You can contact us anytime at Charity.Office@nwas.nhs.uk

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If you would like to be featured in a future edition of our newsletter, please get in touch at Charity.Office@nwas.nhs.uk

Thank you!

Community Heroes

Here are just a few of our amazing supporters and stories of how they have made a real difference to the NWAS Charity.

The Cheetham Hearts, Bolton.

Describing themselves as ‘the beating heart of the community’ the Cheetham Hearts are a community group based at the Cheetham Arms, Blackburn Road, Bolton. As a group they came together in a collective mission to fund a Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD) for their community. Led by Sally Gregson and staff at the Cheetham Arms, they soon began organising fundraising activities to help them reach their £2,000 target. This was successfully achieved and the group held an official unveiling of the newly fitted CPAD, in memory of Iain Purslow, on the outside of the Cheetham Arms. Thank you to Sally and all the Cheetham Hearts for everything you have achieved so far.

Photo shows Sally Gregson (fourth from the left) and members of the Cheetham Hearts with Community Resuscitation Engagement Officer Fiona Larkin.

Angie Sharpley, Ashton upon Mersey.

Earlier this year Angie Sharpley of Ashton set about fundraising to fund a Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD) for her village of Ashton upon Mersey. Angie’s target was £1,500 and after sharing her fundraising page, she had exceeded her target in no time at all, raising over £1,800. The CPAD was swiftly fitted on the side of the Buck Inn, in what we believe was record time!

Angie said; ‘I noticed in February that our community defib was missing off the wall in our village. I tried to find out where it had gone with no success so, with the help of Gemma and Rick from the Buck Inn, I decided to fundraise for a new one. A couple of Photo shows Angie second from the right weeks later we had enough money to buy one’. Congratulations stood with friends, with Gemma and Rick from Angie and to all who helped support her in her mission to fund the Buck Inn on the left. this lifesaving piece of kit so quickly.

Lois’ Summer fundraiser!

Thank you to 17 year old Lois Cavanagh for her amazing efforts in organising her very own charity fun day which she held at her home in August. Lois is currently studying adult nursing at Blackpool and Flyde college and holds an ambition to study Paramedic Science at university, and become a paramedic herself. Lois invited friends and family to attend in support of the day and raised an amazing £940.55! This is an exceptional amount and we are so proud of Lois for her efforts into making this such a success. Well done Lois for being a fundraising hero, and good luck with your career aspirations!

Incredible support from NWAS staff.

Thank you so much Team NWAS!

Dedicated fundraising support from NWAS colleagues continues to grow, with teams across the organisation coming together to raise funds for their very own charity. We’d like to give a huge Team NWAS shout out to both Antonietta De Stefano for organising a sponsored Preston Guild Wheel Walk which raised £340 and to Ben Torkington and colleagues for organising an Easter Bake Sale at their base at Parkway, Manchester which raised £280.

Jodie outruns an ambulance - with a twist!

Student Paramedic Jodie Ismay signed up to take part in Outrun an Ambulance, an event which challenges participants to cover the mileage in which an average ambulance covers in one shift. Jodie completed an impressive 71.1 miles through keeping track of the steps she covered whilst dancing. Jodie takes four dance classes a week and soon hit her mileage target whilst also raising a fantastic £130!

“I chose to take part in the ‘Outrun An Ambulance’ challenge to raise money for a charity that I feel deeply passionate about. I felt that taking on this challenge was a great way to start my journey as a student paramedic.” Thank you Jodie!

£2,000 lifesaving donation.

Thank you to the DJ Sidebottom Glasdon Charitable Programme for its kind donation of £2,000. The donation was made after the company received lifesaving and CPR training from NWAS Community Resus Trainer, Ken Shaxton. This donation will help us to continue to deliver this essential training to many more people.

Joy Kavanagh and Kelley Hickling of Glasdon present the donation to Fundraising Manager Roya Armstrong. Ken Shaxton can be seen delivering the training.

Community engagement This summer, the Charity Team attended several community engagement events including family fun days at both Townley Park, Burnley for the Armed Forces Day in June and the Old Mother Redcap Emergency Services Fun Day in August. These events, plus others, have been vital in helping us to raise our profile as a local ambulance charity and to let people know they can support us.

Photo on the right shows one of our youngest supporters, Harry at the Armed Forces Day Event in Burnley.

2024 charity event success This year saw us launch our first ever calendar of fundraising events and we have been incredibly inspired by what we’ve seen. Many NWAS colleagues and members of the public came together to participate in these events. Here’s a little breakdown of how they all did!

Yorkshire Three Peaks A huge well done to our 6 participants who took on the Yorkshire Three Peaks on 15th June. Conditions were not kind on the day but the team pushed through and showed such bravery, determination and resilience. £2,364 was raised between all participants which is just outstanding. Thank you Team NWAS!

NWAS Director of Quality, Innovation and Improvement Maxine Power upon conquering the challenge.

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NHS Big Tea

Cross Bay Walk

Great North Run

When we invited colleagues to get behind the NHS Big Tea event at the beginning of July this year, we didn’t expect them to go for it as enthusiastically as they did!

Many got involved and we are so thankful to those who held a bake sale, tea party, raffle or simply made a donation. They raised a scrumptious total of £1,013.47. Well done to everyone!

Our first ever Cross Bay Walk was a huge success.

The sun was shining, and a wonderful 77 people (plus a few furry friends) took part on the day, walking across Morecambe Bay, led by the Guides over Sands Trust to ensure everyone’s safety. The total raised from this event was a fantastic £2122.22! Thank you to everyone who came along.

11 people signed up for a place with us this year and we were absolutely over the moon with how they got on. Their passion, dedication and positivity saw them raise over £7000 as a group, which is just phenomenal.

Well done to all our runners for not letting the wet and cold conditions ruin your experience. You’re all amazing!

Facilities staff Rhys McDougal and Trish Wharmby with their cake stall.

A team of NWAS walkers getting ready to set off.

NWAS Deputy Director of Strategy, Partnership and Projects, Alison Ormerod ringing the bell!

Our impact

Thanks a million!

As a result of the generous donations and support we receive, we are proud to announce that we have been able to spend over £1,000,000 on our charitable projects in the two years since April 2022. This is purely expenditure in support of our charitable objectives, and doesn’t include any of the charity’s administration or other running costs.

Of course, this would not have been possible without the incredible donations we receive from our wonderful colleagues, members of the public, and organisations who have chosen to help us to save lives in our communities, and enhance the wellbeing of our staff and volunteers. Some of the highlights are as follows:

£677,000 on saving lives in the community: The funding of over 300 Automated External Defibrillators (AED)s.

Technology and equipment to enhance the work of our network of volunteer Community First Responders.

Ancillaries such as pads and batteries, to re-instate public-access defibrillators which have expired.

Funding the salary costs of Community Resuscitation Engagement Officers, whose aim is to improve survivability from cardiac arrests, particularly in areas experiencing health inequalities.

£337,000 on projects to support staff and volunteers: £157,000 on hardship grants during the cost of living crisis. £59,000 for enhancements to ambulance sites to provide better indoor and outdoor areas for colleagues to use to confidentially debrief following traumatic incidents, or relax during scheduled breaks. £48,000 to provide welfare support to emergency crews to emergency crews waiting to handover patients at hospital emergency departments at busy times. £73,000 for further initiatives to support NWAS staff and volunteers, with a focus on improving their mental health and wellbeing.

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The great news is that we intend to keep investing in our colleagues and communities at the same level from now on. However, we can’t do it without your support.

Supporting health and wellbeing A selection of staff wellbeing projects from 2024 which have been funded thanks to the support of people like you!

Enhancing a quiet and relaxation space for staff. In early 2024, a charity enhancement grant was used to convert a previously under-utilised space to create a area suitable for relaxation, and in which to hold debriefing sessions following particularly distressing calls or incidents for 111 staff at the NWAS Middlebrook site, Bolton.

111 champion, Vicky Blackburn, said: “Lots of staff use the room to relax in on their break which is important due to the stressful nature of the role. It allows them to recharge ready for the next tasks. Managers use the rooms for 1-1s and feedback, and staff are much more relaxed in the new environment which helps get the best from people.”

Guided meditation and Reiki Sessions to help support staff wellbeing.

Throughout May, NWAS staff were invited to attend guided meditation and Reiki sessions at seven sites across the North West. The sessions were delivered by both internal and external practitioners in an initiative to help support staff health and wellbeing, provided using NHS Charities Together funding.

Jeanette Carr, who is both an Emergency Medical Technician and also one of the practitioners said; “It’s been a fantastic experience and I want to express my thanks for being able to deliver these sessions to my colleagues who I hope found value in what was delivered”.

“Brush and Tipple” art therapy event. 19 members of staff recently attended a wellbeing event facilitated by Workforce Wellbeing Officer Mattie Heselwood at Blackpool Ambulance Station. The workshop was funded through the NWAS Charity as part of a grant from NHS Charities Together and fostered a relaxed and inclusive environment, allowing colleagues to bond outside the usual work pressures. It encouraged teamwork and group creativity, strengthening relationships among staff members.

Feedback from this event has been overwhelmingly positive and we hope to fund more of these sessions in the future. Despite the event name, we were assured that all participants remained sober throughout with the drinks served all being that of the non-alcoholic kind.

SAD Lamps trial across East Lancashire ambulance stations.

We were pleased to recently fund a small number of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Lamps, also known as a light therapy or a daylight lamp, to help improve the health and wellbeing of staff as part of a trial project across ambulance stations throughout East Lancashire. SAD Lamps can be incredibly helpful, especially during the darker winter months and for night/late shift workers, who do not need to be diagnosed with the condition to experience a benefit. The NWAS Charity has been working with Operations Manager Helen Belfield-Shepherd on this trial project. Helen is pictured here with Mark Suthers at Burnley Ambulance Station trying out their lamp for the first time. A successful trial of these lamps could see the charity fund additional lamps at other stations across the region.

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Visit nwas.nhs.uk/charity to read about more about the projects we fund.

Support us

Introducing our charity lottery!

Sign up to our charity lottery and have the chance to win up to £25,000!

We have partnered up with Unity Lottery to launch our charity lottery. By taking part, you’ll be helping us to support local communities with lifesaving equipment and training, and fund projects to boost the health and wellbeing of staff and volunteers of North West Ambulance Service.

For every £1 you play each week, 50p comes back to our charity. This means by signing up to our lottery, you’ll be raising vital funds which will be used to help support ambulance staff and save lives in your community.

Join our lottery today

Winter Robin Appeal We invite you to dedicate a robin in remembrance of a loved one or in recognition of the North West Ambulance Service this winter time.

By dedicating a Robin and making a donation of your choice, you will help us to continue to provide support and enhancements to the NWAS through the funding of additional life-saving equipment and projects to benefit the health, wellbeing and safety of patients, staff, and our communities. Visit the link below to leave your dedication and you will receive a robin tree decoration to keep.

Dedicate your robin here

Other ways you can support the NWAS Charity

Set up a regular donation 7

Place a collection tin

Leave a gift in your will

Sign up for Payroll Pennies

Outrun an Ambulance

Email Charity.Office@nwas.nhs.uk for more information

Recycle your old clothes

Keep in touch We hope you enjoyed reading all about our work in this newsletter. Thank you for your valued support. With your help we can continue to make a huge difference to the North West Ambulance Service. Thank you for helping us to support our staff and volunteers to save lives.

Request your fundraising pack at Charity.Office@nwas.nhs.uk

Donate by post by sending in a cheque to North West Ambulance Charity, NWAS Headquarters, Ladybridge Hall, 399 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 5DD. (Cheques made payable to NWAS Charitable Fund).

Subscribe to our mailing list Charity.Office@nwas.nhs.uk

@NWASCharity @nwamb_charity @NWAmbCharity @northwestambulancecharity

North West Ambulance Charity NWAS Headquarters, Ladybridge Hall, 399 Chorley New Road, Bolton, BL1 5DD. North West Ambulance Service Charitable Funds is registered with and regulated by the Charity Commission (No.1122470)