Trust Board Meeting – 8 May 2008[28/04/08 @ 11:30]

A Trust Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, 8 May 2008 at 1.30pm in Ambulance Headquarters, Site 30, Knockbracken Healthcare Park, Saintfield Road, Belfast, BT8 8SG.

Members of the public are welcome to attend. For further information, please contact – The Chief Executive’s Office, Trust Headquarters on (028) 9040 0999.

The Trust Board Papers for this meeting will be available for download soon.

Ambulance Service Honoured in Royal Visit [21/03/08 @ 15:00]

Northern Ireland Ambulance Service Chief Executive, Mr Liam McIvor, accompanied by his wife Una, was honoured to be invited by Secretary of State, Mr S. Woodward to meet Her Majesty, The Queen and His Royal Highness, Prince Phillip at a reception in Hillsborough Castle on 18 March 2008. The reception was part of the Territorial Army’s centenary celebrations and some of the ambulance staff who are members of the Territorial Army were also present on the occasion

The invitation marked and acknowledged the close and ongoing co-operation between the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service and the Territorial Army in Northern Ireland, evident in events such as Medical Challenge, joint training in Major Incident Management, and recent emergency cross-border planning exercises.

Her Majesty was interested to hear of the close co-operation and joint work undertaken and commented on the important service which the ambulance service provides to the Northern Ireland community. Mr McIvor thanked Her Majesty and expressed his pride at being able to represent the men and women of the Northern Ireland Ambulance Service in her presence on this occasion.

Trust Board Meeting – 13 March 2008[5/03/08 @ 14:00]

A Trust Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, 13 March 2008 in the White Horse Hotel, 68 Clooney Road, Londonderry, BT47 3PA

Members of the public are welcome to attend. For further information, please contact – The Chief Executive’s Office, Trust Headquarters on (028) 9040 0999.

The Trust Board Papers for this meeting are available to download here.

999 Emergency Services Launch Joint Charity of the Year 2008 [29/01/08 @ 14:30]

Northern Ireland’s 999 Emergency Services - Northern Ireland Ambulance Service (NIAS), Police Service Northern Ireland (PSNI), Northern Ireland Fire & Rescue Service (NIFRS), and Her Majesty’s Coastguard (HMC) have teamed up for the first time to collectively raise money for one local charity in 2008 namely the Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children. The Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children offers practical, emotional and financial support to children and young people up to the age of 21, and their families, who are living with cancer and was chosen as the Emergency Services Joint Charity of the Year 2008 by staff from the 4 organisations.

The 999 Charity Partnership was formally launched at the Belfast Activity Centre on Tuesday, 9 January 2008 with representatives and speeches made by each of the 4 Emergency Services including Mr Liam McIvor, Chief Executive, NIAS; Assistant Chief Constable, Mr Paul Leighton; Mr Colin Lammey, Chief Executive, NIFRS and Mr Alan Pritchard, HMC. Gillian Creevy, General Manager, Northern Ireland Cancer Fund also addressed the attendees.

A huge fundraising campaign will take place throughout 2008 with ambulance, police, fire and coastguard staff organising their own fundraising events and then combining their efforts for a number of joint fundraising events planned across Northern Ireland.

Programmed events include:

• January: Charity Reception for PSNI Staff
• March: Pub Quiz in Newforge
• April: Abseil at the Europa Hotel & All Ireland Emergency Services 5-A-Side Football
• May: World Record Daisy Chain (Children) - Stormont
• June: Golf Day - Kilymoon, Alp Challenges - Belfast Activity Centre, Portrush to Beflast Cycle, BBQ - Newtownabbey & Garden Party/Fun Day
• July: Dragon Boat Races - Carrickfergus Lughnasa Fair & It's A Knockout/Fair - Carrickfergus Lughnasa Fair
• August: Raft Race, Whitehead & Fire Truck Pull
• September: Car Wash - Provincewide
• October: Hallowe'en Event - Custom House Square & Night at the Races
• December: Christmas Balls

All funds raised will be used by NICFC to develop a first of its kind new cancer support service for children and young people who have a parent living with cancer, as well as help finance the purchase of a property to extend the NICFC Shimna Valley Retreat in Newcastle, Co. Down.

Gillian Creevy, General Manager, Northern Ireland Cancer Fund for Children, said – “We are absolutely delighted to have been chosen as the 999 Emergency Services Charity of the Year for 2008. This is a fantastic opportunity for us to benefit from the collective fundraising effort of police, fire, ambulance and coastguard staff. These organisations have an excellent reputation for their local fundraising efforts and we are very excited to be working with them to help maximize the fundraising potential and raise our Charity’s profile and the service we provide for children and young people in Northern Ireland living with cancer.

“With the support of the 4 emergency services we will be introducing in Spring 2008 an essential new service, ‘Young Shoulders’, which will provide invaluable support to children and young people living with a parent who has cancer. This first of its kind service in the UK, and indeed second only in Europe, will provide emotional and social support to these children and equip them with the coping mechanisms that will guide them through their family’s cancer journey.

“The second project the 999 Emergency Services Charity of the Year fundraising will support is the purchase of a property to help extend our already successful Shimna Valley and Narnia Log Cabin retreats, in Newcastle Co.Down, where children, young people and their families can relax and spend time together away from hospitals, clinics and cancer treatment. The purchase of a 3rd property is part of our longer term vision to create the Shimna Valley Village to give even more families an opportunity to spend quality time together and allow children and young people living with cancer the chance to mix with others in a similar situation.

“We look forward to an exciting and fun year ahead in 2008, working with the 4 emergency services and their staff, to raise money for our charity.”

Further information on the fundraising activities planned throughout the year, contact: 999CharityPartnership@psni.pnn.police.uk

Trust Board Meeting – 24 January 2008[15/01/08 @ 14:00]

A Trust Board Meeting will be held on Thursday, 24 January 2008 at 1.30pm in the Mourne Country Hotel, 52 Belfast Road, Newry.

Members of the public are welcome to attend. For further information, please contact – The Chief Executive’s Office, Trust Headquarters on (028) 9040 0999.

The Trust Board Papers for this meeting are available to download here.