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OUT WITH THE OLD AND IN WITH THE NEW
THE North West Air Ambulance (NWAA) is appealing for any old and unwanted mobile phones, to help them raise money for the region's only medical air emergency service.
The registered charity is able to recycle mobile phone parts and in return receives much needed cash, which will go towards the £75,000 it costs every month to keep this vital service running.
Jackie Northover, Charity Assistant Chief Executive comments:- "At this time of year, people begin to throw away all their old bits and bobs and we urge the public to donate any old mobile phones to the North West Air Ambulance. Some people may have even received new phones for Christmas and have their old ones sitting in a drawer.
You never know when you might need this vital service yourself. It doesn't cost a penny to send us the mobile phones so please consider sending us any old handsets free of charge to FREEPOST NORTH WEST AIR AMBULANCE."
The NWAA receives no mainstream funding to cover its region of 5,500 square miles and a residential population of seven million people. The NWAA covers all major motorway incidents, all serious accidents including horse riding, rugby and motor cycling, serious road accidents and incidents in areas that have poor and restricted road access including golf courses, fells, woods or beaches. On average the NWAA is called out four times a day, rising up to ten in the summer.
Expert pilots and paramedics work 365 days a year to watch over the people of the North West.
To donate to the NWAA call the free donation hotline on...
0800 587 4570
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Gardeners warned
NOW past the 1 January 2005, all electrical work in the garden must be carried out by a government approved electrician, such as one registered with the NICEIC. The new law aims to reduce the rising number of deaths caused by faulty electrics.
External electrical work is particularly hazardous due to the presence of water, damp, humidity, lack of clothing, and the extremes of weather, which can make equipment deteriorate faster outdoors.
"This law will make gardens safer, and is long overdue. Gardeners with ambitious plans for their outdoor space must be aware of the new laws and the dangers they could face"
say Jim Speirs director general of the NICEIC.
The alternative for DIY'ers is to notify their local building control office before starting any work. They will need to pay the appropriate fee, and building control will carry out an inspection and issue a certificate after the work is completed.
Part P applies to garden lighting, pond lighting, pond pumps, swimming pools, and saunas, along with outbuildings such as sheds, detached garages and greenhouses. Local authorities can order the removal or correction of any work that does not comply and fine you up to £5,000.
Amazingly, electricians have never been regulated despite faulty electrics causing an average of 12,500 house fires, 750 serious injuries and 10 deaths each year. The NICEIC welcomes the government's decision to finally clamp down on the cowboys and DIY'ers who cause these deaths and is advising gardeners and homeowners to make sure they only employ government approved electricians.
To be sure of your electrician, look out for the NICEIC logo and contact the NICEIC (National Inspection Council for Electrical Installation Contracting) which has a register of Approved Electrical Contractors, you can find one on your area by visiting
www.niceic.org.uk
or call the NICEIC on 0870 013 0381.
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