Pictured: Firefighters from Blackburn Community Fire Station visit Royal Blackburn Hospital to meet members of the Ophthalmology Department.
Blackburn Community Fire Station has donated £890 to ELHT&Me, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust’s charity, following their Family Open Day. The funds will be spent on schemes to improve patient experience in the Ophthalmology Department at Royal Blackburn Hospital.
The fire station open day took place on 20 July, and was an opportunity for the community to tour the station, find out more about fire safety and watch the fire crews in action with live demonstrations. The money raised has been split equally between The Firefighter's Charity and the Ophthalmology Department at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust – both charities have received £890 each.
Carrie Earnshaw, Matron in the Ophthalmology Service at East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, said: “We are delighted that the Fire Service has chosen to donate half of the funds raised to our department! Ophthalmology is not always a department that people consider when making a donation to the hospital charity, but donations make a real difference.
“People’s eyesight is precious, and Ophthalmology is a service that’s needed by most people at some point in their lives. This donation will enable the service to further invest in equipment to help identify sight problems for the people of the local area. This will benefit our patients and their treatment.”
Chris Archer, Watch Manager at Blackburn Community Fire Station, said: “Our open days are always well attended by the people of Blackburn and beyond. It was important to us to use the opportunity to support local good causes alongside our own national charity which supports injured firefighters and their families through long-term sickness and injury rehabilitation.
“We chose to support ELHT, and specifically the Ophthalmology department at our local hospital, in the hope of raising the profile of the fantastic work they do, alongside the rest of the fantastic NHS.”
Denise Gee, Fundraising Manager at ELHT&Me, said: “This donation is a great example of community spirit! Protecting, improving and caring for people’s sight can be life-changing, and it is an incredibly important part of our services. We are delighted to accept the funds from the Fire Service.
“Making a financial donation, particularly to a service such as Ophthalmology, can make a huge difference to patient experience, and I would encourage anyone who would like to fundraise or donate to get in touch with our Fundraising Team, by visiting our website (www.elht.nhs.uk/charity) or giving us a call on 01254 732140."
