3 Merseyside Charities Receive Share of ₤25K Cadent Foundation Grant After Customer Vote

LIVERPOOL disability charity, Greenbank, has been awarded a ₤3000 grant from the Cadent Foundation after being voted for by Cadent customers across the Region.  Through its:- 'Connecting Colleagues, Customers and Communities' initiative, Cadent employees in Merseyside were asked to trial a new approach to the way in which local grants are allocated; by nominating local charities which were then shortlisted and put forward to a public vote. More than 1000 customers took part in the voting process with Greenbank being awarded the top grant of ₤3000. The Whitechapel Centre in Liverpool and Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes were voted runners up and will each also receive grants of ₤1000.

Greenbank was set up to enhance the opportunities and status of people with disabilities through education, training, employment, and recreation. Mark Palmer, Sport Development Manager at Greenbank Sports Academy, commented:- "We're so pleased to have been awarded ₤3000 by the Cadent Foundation. The funding will go towards vital refurbishment work including changing rooms and shower areas. Many of our service users are disabled with underlying health issues so these developments will go towards enabling an improved environment which will be vital in improving their confidence to return to activity. A big thank you to Cadent and all the customers who voted for us."

Greenbank was nominated for the scheme by Cadent supervisor, Trevor Lubbock, who fundraises for the charity each year, most recently completing the national 3 Peaks Challenge. He said:- "The work this charity does is unbelievable. Most of the staff in the sports academy have some sort of disability and the services they offer to the wider community are fantastic. Unfortunately, due to the decrease in Government funding, Greenbank struggle year on year and it would really hurt the community if it were to cease and the services they offer stop. When I heard about the Cadent Foundation's community grant scheme, I thought this was a perfect opportunity to help them gain some much needed funds. The grant will enable them to provide support and education for some of the most disadvantaged people not just in Liverpool, but across Merseyside."

The Whitechapel Centre is the leading homeless and housing charity for the Liverpool Region; working with people who are sleeping rough, living in hostels or struggling to manage their accommodation. It is committed to helping people find and maintain a home and learn the life skills essential for independent living.

Fundraising Manager, Ruth McCaughley, said:- "Throughout the Pandemic we've been helping people are sleeping rough, providing emergency accommodation and then supporting people to move on into permanent accommodation. The grant from the Cadent Foundation will be used to provide essentials for this period, including food parcels and home starter kits of kitchen basics to help people settle into their new homes. We are very grateful to Cadent for their support for the most vulnerable people in our society."

Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes works with Hospitals across the Regions to provide a vital transportation service. The charity, which makes thousands of life saving deliveries every year, is manned entirely by volunteers and relies on donations to keep going.

Pamela Bowker, Fundraising Coordinator said:- "Merseyside and Cheshire Blood Bikes are absolutely delighted to have been awarded a donation of ₤1000 by the Cadent Foundation as part of their Connecting Communities Programme. It will help our charity enormously, as we have had to recently replace t2 of our Blood Bikes due to very high mileage. With our voluntary riders they have helped many patients over their years of service transporting blood and blood products, blood samples, specimens and swabs, medicines, equipment and donor breast milk. More recently they have been transporting Covid 19 swabs for testing both day and night to help the NHS in its fight against this terrible enemy."

Julia Dwyer, Director of the Cadent Foundation, said:- "Over the last 12 months, the need to come together and support each other has never been more important. We wanted to ensure Cadent customers and colleagues were given the chance to help care for their local community by nominating and voting for charities which were close to their hearts. The 'Connecting Colleagues, Customers and Communities' initiative has been a huge success with 14 charities shortlisted and more than 1000 customers taking part in the voting process. The project has grown from strength to strength as a direct result of the ongoing focus, commitment and support from colleagues across the North West. It has allowed us to focus on where help is needed the most and offer grants to projects where we can make a real difference."

The Cadent Foundation is funded by local gas network Cadent, and has been established to support projects large and small that help people living in vulnerable situations and disadvantaged communities; protect and preserve the natural environment or support in creating a sustainable energy future for all. For more information on the Cadent Foundation, visit:- CadentFoundation.Com.
 

North West Air Ambulance Charity administers 100th blood transfusion

THE North West Air Ambulance Charity (NWAA) has reached a significant milestone in its:- 'Blood on Board' project, bringing blood transfusion to critically ill and injured patients across the Region. The service administered blood products to its 100th pre-Hospital patient in March 2021, after introducing the capability to perform pre-Hospital blood transfusions by the road and in the field in January 2019.

NWAA attends over 2,000 missions each year, having attended 328 in Merseyside, from March 2020 to March 2021. Many are major trauma incidents, the likes of which require advanced care at scene to improve patient outcomes prior to Hospital admission. This includes roadside blood transfusions which increase oxygen delivery and clot production, both crucial when a patient is suffering from massive bleeding.

Blood on Board is a collaboration between the charity, Blood Bikes Manchester, the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) and Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust Transfusion Service (SRFT). It was initially funded by the Henry Surtees Foundation, a charitable organisation supporting those with physical injuries caused by accidents.

Steve Deakin, Blood Bikes Manchester, said:- "We are so proud to continue to work side by side the North West  Air  Ambulance  Charity and Salford Royal to deliver this service for people across the Region. Transfusions in the field can make a considerable difference to patients' lives and it's an honour, as an entirely volunteer run operation, to be playing a role in this."

Each day, Blood Bikes Manchester transport packed red blood cells and pre-thawed plasma from Salford Royal to NWAA's Barton base. Blood products that are not used that day by the air ambulance team are safely returned to Salford Royal for use in the Hospital, to ensure precious blood donations do not go to waste.

Clint Jones, Consultant Anaesthetist, at the  North  West  Air  Ambulance  Charity, commented:- "Since we introduced this capability with our partners, we've been closely monitoring and evaluating the impact it has had on patients. A significant number of patients who sustain traumatic injuries that cause massive blood loss, sadly pass away before reaching Hospital. By transfusing blood and plasma as early as possible, we are drastically improving the chances of survival for the most seriously ill and injured patients we treat. The charity is so proud to have reached this milestone. I would like to say a huge thank you to all of our partners who continue to make this possible and continue to support and champion our charity, including Blood Bikes and our colleagues, within the NHS. The North West Air Ambulance Charity relies solely on donations to remain operational, and without the generosity of our sponsors and supporters, it would not be possible to deliver this lifesaving service."

Since starting the:- 'Blood on Board' project, the charity has recorded the following:-

► Since January 2019, 303 units of blood products have been administered by its enhanced Pre-Hospital Care Teams.

► On average, patients receiving Pre-Hospital transfusions receive 3 units (2 units of plasma and 1 unit of red blood cells)

► The lifesaving intervention costs approximately ₤350 per patient, excluding the cost of transport and staff.

► The average age of patients receiving a transfusion is 40 years, ranging from 10 to 84 years.

► The average time taken to manage blood transfusion, at scene, is 33 minutes.

Deborah Seddon, Haematology and Blood Transfusion Service Manager, at Salford Royal NHS Foundation Trust, commented:- "When the project was first proposed we were keen to be involved in any way we could, as our team understands the dramatic role blood loss plays in survival of traumatic injuries and the difference that could be made if patients were able to access transfusions as early as possible. The Salford Royal Transfusion Service is committed to delivering safe, effective treatment, so we are incredibly proud to support the charity in this manner for the benefit of people all across the  North  West."