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Taking the icy plunge
for charity in the Irish Sea on New Years Day!
LOCAL Physiotherapist, Sophie
Taylor, usually works in 34 degree heated water helping patients recover
their mobility and function in the hydrotherapy pool at the Royal Liverpool
University Hospital.
But on New Year's Day she will be swapping her balmy pool for the icy waters
of the Irish Sea, to help raise funds to make the new Royal even better for
patients.
As part of the team braving the waves for the New Year's Day fundraising dip
on the shores of New Brighton, Sophie will be donning her cossie for
charity.
"I've worked at the Trust since 2006
and we have wonderful patients and fantastic staff. In our lovely warm hydro
pool, we work with patients with musculoskeletal conditions, neurological
problems or after surgery. I wear my swimsuit in the pool the water; but the
freezing dip will be very different. I am very proud to work for the Trust
and I'm keen to give something back. It's complete madness, but I'm
determined to take on a personal challenge and dash into the sea on New
Year's Day. I'm really dreading the cold, but looking forward to the
camaraderie and fun on the day and to a hot coffee on the beach afterwards.
Many people simply spend New Year's Day recovering from the effects of the
night before. Maybe I'm just crazy, but I'm looking forward to starting the
New Year reinvigorated by the cold waters and getting off to a great start
in 2016. Thanks to the generosity of family, friends and colleagues I'd like
to raise at least £500 to help our £10 million R Appeal to make our new
Royal even better." said Sophie, 44, a Clinical Physiotherapy
Specialist at the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS
Trust.
Ged Carter, head of fundraising at the Royal, is dashing into the sea on New
Year's Day with Sophie. He said:- "A nippy dip on New Year's Day must
be the ultimate mind over matter challenge. Come and join us, in fancy
dress, as Santa or in your cossie; just remember to raise what you can for
the new Royal."
To help Sophie raise funds please visit his please go to her Just Giving
Page.
Also taking to the water will be Marie Dewhurst, who will be will be
singing:- "Oh we do love to be beside the seaside."
That's the direct challenge from friends
who are sponsoring her, since Marie also sings in the choir at the Royal
Hospital Choir and Liverpool Community Choir.
As a nurse and former matron of St Paul's Eye Hospital at the Royal, Marie
is backing the R charity fundraising appeal to make the new Royal even
better.
"I'm determined to raise vital funds for the relatives' room in
Critical Care in our new hospital, since a couple of my friends have been
treated there over the years. If we can raise the money to make relatives'
areas more comfortable and reassuring, then we will have helped to make a
stressful situation that much better for people. I've already visited the
new hospital, and the relatives' room is much larger and we need to make it
as comfortable as we can." says Marie, now development manager at
the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen Hospitals University Trust.
Yet comfort will be out for Marie when she takes the New Year's Day dip.
"I borrowed a drysuit, but then decided that's not the point; I need to get
properly wet... So I'll be doing the dip in a tiara and fairy wings and with
a tutu over my costume instead; even though my family are promising to back
me from the comfort of the balcony in the Floral Pavilion."
But as she sings her way into the sea, Marie is determined to close her
mouth as she gets in deeper. "As a former infection control nurse, I
don't want to swallow any of the water. Though later when I'm warm and dry,
I am looking forward to a drink of something much nicer as I count my
sponsorship money." she added...
To help Marie raise funds please visit his
Just Giving
Page.
Also taking the plunge in the Irish Sea will be local Hospital boss, Aidan
Kehoe, is getting the new year off to a very fresh start with a plunge into
the icy waters of the Irish Sea for charity.
Aidan aims to raise funds for R Charity with the 1st of 12 challenges for
2016, and to take the entire Trust Board and other business leaders with him
on 1 or more of those challenges too.
"I think it's important that we provide some leadership since the new Royal
is now very real, and set to open in 18 months. And I can't think of a
better way to shake off any cobwebs on new year's day than with a brisk
plunge into the waves in aid of R Charity." says Aidan, chief
executive of the Royal Liverpool and Broadgreen University Hospitals NHS
Trust.
The New Year's Day Dip in the Irish Sea is the 1st of 12 challenges Aidan
has set himself over the next 12 months; and he's asking Trust Board members
and other keen fundraisers to join him too.
That means taking a break from the day job; running 1 of the biggest
hospital trusts in the region that is in the process of developing the new
£335 million Royal, the biggest construction project the City has seen in
years; to don an R Charity T shirt for the challenges.
"I'm definitely keen to tackle a firewalk. I'm keen to tackle some serious
cycling too, though I'll have to get a bit fitter 1st; and to take on some
long distance treks too." says father of 4 Aidan, 53, who grew up in
Knotty Ash and now lives near Ormskirk.
Ged Carter, head of fundraising at R Charity, who is plunging into the sea
with Aidan said:- "The entire Trust Board is right behind the R
Charity Appeal, and we're looking forward to getting our teeth into 12
fundraising challenges for 2016. It'll certainly be a new year to remember
when we plunge into the icy Irish Sea on our sponsored New Year's Day Dip,
but it will all be worth it when we open our world class new Royal
Hospital."
To help Aidan raise funds please visit his Just Giving
Page
The New Year's Day fundraising dip for the new Royal starts, at 2pm, on New
Year's Day opposite the Floral Pavilion on New Brighton promenade.
Registration costs from £3.
To find out more contact the fundraising team via sending them an
email
or call them on:- 0151 706 3150.
Watch head of fundraising Ged Carter show you how it's done on YouTube
YouTube.
If you do not know already, R Charity's £10million target will enable them
to:-
► Provide our new Breast Unit with 3 new
mammography machines and a new x-ray scanner so that we can see more
patients sooner.
► Provide 550 comfortable reclining chairs for
patient bedrooms, so that relatives can stay overnight to spend precious
moments with their loved ones.
► Provide smart TV screens for each of the 646
inpatient bedrooms, so that patients can access Freeview TV at no cost.
Friends and family will be able to bring in comforting photos of family life
to view on screen; a huge benefit for confused, vulnerable patients.
► Support the delivery of the very latest
technologies for diagnosing cancer earlier and treating the disease more
effectively. The new Royal will be the regional centre of excellence for
producing radioactive injections for use in our new scanners and treatments
for cancers. |
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RNLI Tools and others
stolen from a van in Formby
MERSEYSIDE Police are currently
appealing for information after specialist tools were stolen from a van in
Formby, Merseyside. The theft happened between 7.45pm and 10.30pm, on
Tuesday, 2 December 2015, when unknown offenders broke into an unmarked
Vauxhall Vivaro van on Cable Street and took tools and equipment including
an industrial torque wrench, Facom tool bag and Solus Pro diagnostic
machine. Some of the tools stolen belonged to the Royal National
Lifeboat Institute charity and were engraved with the words 'RNLI 8'.
Officers have now issued photographs of some of the items taken in a bid to
trace them and track down the offenders.
Sergeant Charlotte Irlam said:- "The RNLI is a charity
that provides a very valuable service to Merseyside and across the UK. For
them to lose specialist equipment such as this is understandably upsetting.
These are very specialist items and we would appeal to anyone who may have
seen them, or been offered them for sale, to get in touch."
Merseyside Police have also issued the following general advice to vehicle
owners:-
► Most vehicle crime is preventable. It can take as little as 10 seconds for
a thief to steal something from your vehicle. If at all possible, leave
nothing on view.
► Never leave valuable items in your car.
► Wipe away the Sat Nav mark on your windscreen.
► Never leave your car keys where they can be seen from the front door.
► Always close the windows and sunroof; lock the doors and activate any
security devices when leaving your car unattended.
► Park with care, particularly at night or if you are leaving the vehicle
for a long time. If possible, park in a busy, well lit area.
Anyone with any information about the theft is asked to contact Merseyside
Police on:- 0151 777 3746/3702 or the confidential Crimestoppers line on:-
0800 555 111.
Get Fit and Save Lives!
CHARITY fundraising challenge to help hearts with a
lifestyle "makeover"... Has this got your attention?
Banish the guilt of your Christmas indulgence by setting yourself a Healthy
Heart challenge in 2016, and help Yorkshire based charity Heart Research UK
to help hearts near you in the process.
January is the time of year when we all feel under pressure to make a new
start, lose weight and give ourselves a lifestyle "makeover".
Yet as life is often so hectic it's not always easy to commit to your new
year's health and fitness resolutions, with a tendency to quickly give up.
Heart Research UK has made a pledge in the run up to the New Year; to get
more people fit and heart healthy and signed up to its range of fun events
and challenges to raise funds for its work.
As heart disease is still the UK's biggest killer with nearly 75,000 deaths
a year; claiming more lives among women than breast cancer; the new year is
a good time to improve your fitness.
There's a whole range of exciting challenges for you to take on in 2016 such
as the iconic Silverstone ½ Marathon in March, the
Bupa London 10k in May, the Yorkshire 3 Peaks Day out in the Dales in June,
the Morrison's Great North Run in September, and the charity's very own
Subway Helping Hearts Family 5k series in 12 locations throughout the UK
during the summer.
For the more adventurous there are adrenalin packed skydives or intrepid
global challenges such as trekking the mighty Great Wall of China or
tackling a London to Paris cycle ride.
Go to
HeartResearch.Org.UK/Events to sign up
for an event that suits you or call the charity's fundraising team on:- 0113
234 7474 or you can also send them an email to:-
Community@HeartResearch.Org.UK.
Heart Research UK will give you a set date to aim for your challenge and
lots of helpful advice and tips so you won't want to let yourself or others
down by quitting. By doing 1 of the charity's challenges you will have
gained a new experience in life, improved your health and probably made some
great friends along the way.
The charity is also continuing its Swim the Channel challenge where you have
3 months to swim the distance between Dover and Calais, but in the comfort
of your local swimming pool.
For those who want to do their own challenge Heart Research UK has even
thought of something to suit you. My Run, My Way is aimed at people who want
to create their own run be it a 5k, 10k, half or full marathon. Choose a
date, time, route, distance and people to run with and apply for your
FREE pack to get started; it's that
easy.
Heart Research UK's Head of Fundraising, Fran Shilton, said the New Year was
a good time for people to have a lifestyle "makeover" and set
themselves new challenges. "Knowing that up to 80% of heart disease
could be prevented means that by making changes right now you could be
protecting your heart for the future. Taking part in our fundraising
challenges will not only keep you fit but will help other peoples' hearts as
well."
Signing up to a challenge is for many people, the only way to keep focussed
on getting fit; and staying fit. Sign up
online today for a Heart Research UK Healthy Heart 2016
Challenge...
UK Government failing on litter in our
seas says UK's leading marine charity
THE Marine Conservation Society (MCS) says it's
extremely concerned that nothing new in the fight against marine litter in
UK seas has been proposed as part of measures designed to restore them to a
healthier state by 2020.
The UK Government has published the measures it will take to restore UK seas
to:- "Good Environmental Status" by 2020 as required by EU
legislation known as the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD).
Carrie Hume MCS Director of Conservation and Campaigns says the Directive
offers a wonderful opportunity to ensure that our seas can be restored to
their former healthy state, but the UK Government has missed an opportunity
when it comes to reducing marine litter:- "Only existing measures
regarding tackling marine litter are listed with none of the new measures
required to achieve Good Environmental Status (GES) explored or endorsed.
This is despite thousands of people writing to Defra to ask for more action
on the issue."
Our seas are very degraded; the European Environment Agency reports that
less than 20% of EU marine habitats and species are in a healthy state. In
UK seas alone, 28 species of mammal and fish are considered to be
threatened; a key threat is the high level of litter found in the seas
around the UK. MCS says its beach litter surveys have shown a doubling of
litter found per kilometre of UK beaches surveyed over the last 20 years,
and this is continuing to increase year on year. The charity says new
measures to address the issue of litter are crucial. "To suggest that
no new measures are needed to address the issue of litter is astonishing.
It's inconceivable that current measures, such as such as existing
legislation, the majority of which have been place for many years and have
thus far failed to achieve a downward trend in marine litter, will be
sufficient to reverse the increasing trend and achieve GES by 2020. The 5p
charge for single use plastic bags; 2% of beach litter in 2014, is a step
in the right direction. But much more is needed. A nationwide deposit scheme
for drinks containers like plastic and glass drinks bottles and aluminium
cans; 10% of beach litter in 2014 and better disposal and recycling
facilities for both commercial and recreational fishermen; 11% of beach
litter in 2014, are just some measures that should be considered to improve
the situation in the next 5 years." says Sue Kinsey, MCS Senior
Pollution Policy Officer.
Merseyside Police thank public for being
on their best behaviour
MERSEYSIDE Police have made the unusual move to
thanking the public for being on their best behaviour during 1 of the
busiest nights of the festive season. In total 22 arrests were made in the
City Centre area between 11pm, on Friday, 18 December 2015 and 7am on
Saturday, 19 December 2015, with no serious incidents reported. High
visibility patrols were out across the City Centre overnight with officers
carrying out a number of routine visits to bars and clubs. Officers were
also deployed to the Bold Street/Central station area to oversee the large
number of revellers leaving the City Centre. Superintendent Mark
Wiggins who oversees the City Centre and South Liverpool said:-
"Thousands of people regularly visit bars and clubs in Liverpool City Centre
at the weekend, with the number increasing during the busy festive period.
The number of arrests is similar to a normal Saturday night and it was
pleasing to see that the vast majority of people who visited the City Centre
were on the best behaviour. It is nights like last night that show why
Liverpool is 1 of the best and safest places to visit for a night out. We
would continue to remind people to take responsibility for themselves and
watch what they drink so that their behaviour does not let them down and
ruin an otherwise great night out. Police officers will be a regular sight
around the City and Town Centres of Merseyside at peak times this Christmas
and we are there primarily to keep people safe while they are having a good
time. My message to people on their Christmas nights out is this: enjoy
yourselves, pace yourselves, take responsibility for your own behaviour and
ensure you wake up the next morning with memories of a great night out with
friends rather than regret and a sore head. I want to reassure people who
visit the City and the night time economy that our officers will continue to
work to help keep the City the popular and vibrant place that it is renowned
for." |
