Two Vale paramedics have raised £5000 for a mental health charity that supports emergency workers.
Pals Wayne Dalton and Raymond Fleming organised the event at Vale of Leven Golf Club in support of mental health charity Mind.
Mind run a project called Blue Light Together supporting emergency workers, with the toll of the pandemic having been especially tough for frontline responders.
Wayne told the Lennox: “The last couple of years have been rough for everyone, but particularly for a lot of the emergency services.
“When we were getting some Covid cases it was scary. We’d never seen anything like it. People were seriously unwell.
“We were wondering how patients were still conscious when we saw their oxygen levels. It was just something so new. It was a bit scary.
“We all thought we were going to get it.
“We just had to deal with it and get on with things though. I wouldn’t say we got used to it. But we knew we had to keep going.
“A lot of the guys with young families weren’t going home, they were staying in hotels so they didn’t have to take this horrible disease home.
“Hopefully we seem to be coming towards the light at the end of the tunnel now. Our work has picked up a lot though.
“I’d say that we’re busier now than we’ve ever been.”
The event proved a big hit with paramedics and members of the Scottish Fire and Rescue service taking to the Vale’s course to help raise funds. And the success blew Wayne away.
He explained: “It went really well. We had about 60 guys turn up. We’re still totalling up how much we’ve raised, but we think we might hit £5000 for the charity.”
Wayne and Raymond are now aiming to make the event an annual fundraiser.
He added: “We’re hoping to make it an annual event, between myself and Raymond and a few others we’ll pick a different charity every year.”
