Two paramedics based at the Vale Hospital have organised a charity golf day aimed at supporting blue light workers following the pandemic.
Wayne Dalton and Raymond Fleming have organised the event for Friday, June 10 at Vale of Leven Golf Club in support of mental health charity Mind.
And Wayne explained that the charity’s support for emergency workers during the pandemic was why they chose to support them.
He said: “The last couple of years have been rough for everyone, but particularly for a lot of the emergency services.
“Raymond and I decided to have a bit of a get together and try and raise a bit of money for Mind, who are a mental health charity.
“They have a project called Blue Light Together supporting emergency workers, but they are a big organisation and one we wanted to come to support.
“We decided to get our 999 colleagues together, have a bit of a fun day out after the mayhem and see if we can raise a bit of money as well.”
Reflecting on the previous two years, Wayne continued: “I can only speak for the ambulance service. But at the beginning of the whole pandemic it seemed to quieten down to be honest. A lot of people were staying at home and didn’t want to go to the hospital.
“But 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.”
And he is keen for a bumper turnout at the event – with anyone looking to take to the course for a good cause welcome.
Wayne added: “We’ve got 30 already signed up. I’ve managed to get it on the fire service intranet, so they’ve been contacting us recently too.
“I’ve been going round police stations too, dropping fliers off.
“We’re hoping that we’ll get around 60 in total. And it’s not just for emergency services, we’ve invited members from other local clubs too. You don’t have to be a 999 worker, just come along if you want to support us.”
Whilst he is also keen to hear from local businesses who could help support the tournament.
He added: “Vale of Leven Golf Club have been very, very supportive of the plans.
“But we’re also looking for local businesses who want to get involved sponsoring the day, sponsoring a hole or doing what they can. Anything at all would be appreciated.”
For more information, or to sign up for the event, contact Wayne on 07376399255 or by emailing waynedalton@blueyonder.co.uk
