The UK’s leading provider of direct cremation has donated £1,500 to St Andrew’s First Aid, Scotland’s only dedicated first aid charity, to help them achieve its ambition of creating a nation of lifesavers.
Pure Cremation presented the donation to the charity, whose work and fundraising efforts have suffered over the past two years due to the impact of the pandemic.
St Andrew’s First Aid aims to deliver training to some 13,000 people every year.
Since the start of Covid19 the charity’s community fundraising events – which are its main source of income – have had to be cancelled, with funds drying up as a result.
The charity was also forced to cancel its community training scheme.
Instead, most of St Andrew’s First Aid’s volunteers lent their time and skills elsewhere in their respective communities, such as delivering medicines and supplies to vulnerable residents and helping out at NHS vaccination hubs.
Ian Kirk is the Regional Manager for Pure Cremation Scotland and Northern Ireland and a volunteer with St Andrew’s First Aid.
Ian joined the charity at the age of nine and worked his way up over many years to become a fully-fledged first aid trainer. He is still a volunteer today, juggling his charitable activities with his career and family life.
Ian said: “St Andrew’s First Aid is a fantastic cause which over many years has equipped generations of families across Scotland with invaluable skills which in turn will have helped saved countless lives.
“Like other charities, its income has been severely impacted by the pandemic, as has its community activities.
“At a time when donations to charity are reducing but costs still need to be met, we are pleased to award this sum to help St Andrew’s First Aid continue in its vital work.”
Stuart Callison, Chief Executive of the charity, said the donation from Pure Cremation came as a welcome surprise at a time when much of the funding during the pandemic was allocated to Covid-related causes such as NHS charities, or essential supplies for those most in need.
It also came at a time when St Andrew’s First Aid was looking to resurrect its community training activities.
He added that although St Andrew’s First Aid had been unable to continue its work in schools and other community groups over the past two years, it had devised a vital emergency first aid and mental health training programme for secondary school pupils called Ready for Life.
Over the coming months, the programme will see almost 1,000 pupils learning vital, life-saving first aid skills and being able to spot signs of mental ill health in friends and family and provide the necessary support.
Mr Callison said: “We are extremely grateful to Pure Cremation for the donation which will assist our programme of community based first aid training.
“St Andrew’s First Aid, like many other charities, has been hit hard by the impact and restrictions brought about by the pandemic.
“Our volunteers have found many other ways to continue supporting their communities and making a difference to those around them. Donations and support from businesses, organisations and individuals are more important than ever to us as we seek to continue our efforts to establish Scotland as a nation of lifesavers.”
Established in 2015 Pure Cremation was the first company to provide a dedicated service in direct cremation – an alternative to the traditional funeral where there is no church, no service, no officiant, mourners, cars or flowers.
The donation to St Andrew’s First Aid is one of six being made to charities across the UK, totalling £13,000.
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