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Blogs highlighting the work of staff and volunteers within the British Red Cross, part of the largest humanitarian organisation movement in the world.


aMESing

By Beau Damen-Young
July 13, 2009 at 2:16 pm

A wheelchair

It’s been a little while since my last blog (BIG apologies to the “blogging team”)

The medical equipment service has been busier than ever over the past 2 months and I thought I would share with you some of the FANTASTIC achievements our service has in WAG this June.

With the purse strings tighter than ever and everyone watching their pennies it hasn’t been easy to get people to part with their hard earned cash recently, but the service assistants and volunteers in Avon, Gloucestershire, and Wiltshire have been able to keep ahead of the times providing the best possible level of customer service and advise and as result have achieved some pretty amazing results.

Last month alone we helped 432 people in Wiltshire, Avon and Gloucestershire regain their independence, for a variety of reasons, from tripping over the dog, then down the stairs and breaking both ankles, to kids leaping off trampolines into brick walls, rescued from the bush with one badly mangled leg and also for sadder cases when a chair is being used to make someone’s time left with family and friends as comfortable and easy as possible, giving them the freedom to spend it how they wish. Thanks to all the hard work of the MES team these service users and their families put their hands in their pockets in June and donated a huge £8,872.52, others bought equipment from us to the value of £6,118.45 in the same month.

The medical equipment service is growing and reaching more and more vulnerable people in this area every day, it’s value and the remarkable difference it makes to people lives is often misunderstood and the service can be perceived as “old” and “boring” but I cannot think of anything so simple that makes such a huge and marked difference to so many people in such a short space of time and that’s why I am so passionate about it. It is certainly not all commodes and bedpans.

This is a comment, placed in card, from a service user in Gloucestershire who broke her pelvis following a serious car accident on holiday”

Dear Red Cross

This is just a small note to say a huge thank you. You have no idea what a difference you have made to us. When I first came out of hospital we had no idea how we were going to manage. I could barely stand let alone walk anywhere. The loan of the wheelchair took away the worry and fear during such a vulnerable time.

Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.

I just want to say the biggest thank you ever and a huge well done to all my team, without their help, support and genuine care for the service from the staff and volunteers involved in it there is no way it could be as successful as it is right now.


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