16
October
2014
|
16:22
Europe/London

Fire and Rescue Service goes pink to raise charity cash

Staff at all 24 county fire stations will, during the week beginning 20 October, wear pink T-shirts during their drill nights, as will wholetime watches for a day during the week.

Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service personnel have purchased more than 400 T-shirts, raising over £2,500, the latest in a series of money-generating initiatives for charity.

Staff at Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service headquarters in Sterling Road, Kidlington will wear pink T-shirts on 21 October to support a public coffee morning being held from 10am to midday in aid of the charity.

More than £1m raised for the Fire Fighters Charity

Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service has made more than £1m over the past five years for the Fire Fighters Charity - which supports nationally serving and retired fire and rescue personnel and their dependants - and other charitable causes through events including fire station open days and the recent cycle trip by personnel from Oxford to its twin German city, Bonn.

The brigade won the 'Team of the Year' category at this year's Spirit of Fire Awards and was a runner-up in the 'Brigade of the Year' class.

Drago the Dragon, the cartoon star of a series of safety books for children designed and written by Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service, will attend the October 21 coffee morning, where homemade cakes, tea and coffee will be available for people to buy, along with a prize raffle for the public to enter.

Pride in fundraising

Nigel Wilson, Area Manager - Operations and Resilience for Oxfordshire County Council Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Without the support of our staff and their voluntary fundraising efforts, we would not be able to raise the huge amount of money that we do for various worthy charitable causes.

"It is a great achievement for Oxfordshire Fire and Rescue Service to raise £1m over a five-year period for the Fire Fighters Charity, and to be acknowledged nationally at the recent Spirit of Fire Awards for the great effort that has been put in.

"Many of our staff have chosen to take part in our fundraising for cancer charities because this disease is something that has personally affected them or their family and friends.  Our fundraising efforts this year have been focussed on raising awareness of Breast Cancer Care.

“I look forward to meeting members of the public who come along and contribute to this worthy cause at our Kidlington Fire Station coffee morning on 21 October."

Councillor Rodney Rose, the Deputy Leader of Oxfordshire County Council who also has Cabinet responsibility for the Fire and Rescue Service, said: "Our firefighters do an absolutely fantastic job of working to keep county residents safe and I am delighted that they have raised over £1m for charity by engaging with the public and taking part in a variety of money-making community activities."