Mobility charity makes urgent appeal to the industry for used beds to help people in dire need
A North West charity is appealing to the industry to supply much-needed used hospital beds as part of a life-changing project to send mobility and healthcare equipment to some of the world’s most impoverished and neediest countries.
Established by Warrington Disability Partnership and working in collaboration with international charity St Mark Universal Care, the Phoenix Project sees the organisations co-ordinate the national collection of equipment to be refurbished, containerised and transported to people in dire need.
Garnering industry-wide praise, the award-winning project has already shipped over £750,000 worth of donated, critically-needed equipment overseas, however, says it urgently needs beds.
Dave Thompson MBE, Founder and Chief Executive of Warrington Disability Partnership, told THIIS: “We are desperate for hospital beds to send to people in need in Romania and Syria.
“Hoists and wheelchairs are also needed but hospital beds really are the number one priority at the moment.”
Highlighting that it will accept equipment in any condition, the Warrington-based charity says it has the ability to put all donations to use.
“We would urge any companies or organisations out there that have any beds and are willing to donate them, regardless if they have been out on loan or need work doing to them, to get in touch as we really are happy to accept them,” continued Dave.
“We have decontamination facilities and a repair centre so we’ll take the beds in any condition that we can take them. Even if it means we take 10 beds to create four working beds out of them, we will do that.”
Having distributed 26 consignments of equipment and aids since its launch in 2016, the Phoenix Project has already helped thousands of people in deprived and war-torn countries including Egypt, Thailand, Syria, Sudan, as well as to Syrian refugees in Turkey and Greece.
Praising the ongoing support the charity has received, Dave finished: “None of this would have been possible without our St Mark Universal Care, which is an international charity based in the North West of England.
“We also certainly couldn’t have done this without the incredible support we have received from trade and certainly some of our biggest supporters to date have been NRS Healthcare, Ross Care, Medequip, Ableworld, MIP UK, Sunrise Medical, as well as home loan stores, hospitals, nursing homes and hundreds of individuals.”
For those wishing to donate to the Phoenix Project, contact Dave directly on 01925 240064 or email DaveThompson@disabilitypartnership.org.uk
