Forth’s role in Appreciation Tour 13/05/20

Cheering doorstep crowds urged to donate £1 to help buy PPE for local carers RESIDENTS who take to their doorsteps tomorrow evening (Thursday) to cheer a fundraising cavalcade are asked to donate £1 to help fund vital PPE for local carers.
As many as 175 vehicles have been taking part in the weekly “Appreciation Tour” in West Cumbria set up by local businesses to help raise money for PPE for carers at West Cumberland Hospital and local care homes and bring some cheer to residents.
With thousands taking to their doorsteps, organisers are asking if people can afford to spare £1 to donate to the tour’s Just Giving link with the money going to buy PPE to protect carer workers helping to protect the community from COVID-19.
Every Thursday evening, Forth, along with Mossop Construction Services and a host of other businesses, have been travelling in large vehicles on a fundraising “Appreciation Tour” in aid of local health and care workers around Frizington, Cleator Moor, Wath Brow, Cleator, Egremont, and Bigrigg, with lights flashing, drivers waving and horns sounding to bring some positivity to the community.
Mark Telford, managing director of Forth Engineering, said: “The response to the “Appreciation Tour” has been amazing. Thousands of people have come onto their doorsteps to clap and cheer. It has been very emotional.
“Last week there were 175 vehicles taking part. We’ve had people tell us that it’s the first time they’ve come onto their doorstep and that it has really cheered them up.
Everyone is respecting the social distancing rules.
“The reason we were involved, with other local businesses in the area, in setting this up was to bring some much needed cheer to people in the community, and also to raise money to pay for vital PPE for health workers and carers at West Cumberland Hospital and local care homes.
“We have set up a Just Giving page to make it as easy as possible for people. So if you’ve enjoyed seeing the tour going past and can afford to donate £1 then we’d really appreciate it – and I am sure the local healthcare workers would really appreciate it too – if you could make a small donation to help keep them safe.”
So far tour organisers have smashed their initial £1,000 fundraising target and have raised more than £5,000. Their new target is £10,000. The “Appreciation Tour” will take place again this Thursday evening. More details are available on the Copeland Community Tour group’s Facebook page and donations can be made at www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/appreciationtour
Forth has also been helping the community in several other ways in the fight against COVID-19.
It has sourced a further 12,000 items of PPE – on top of 6,000 gowns and 6,000 masks it had already supplied – to be donated to West Cumberland Hospital, and local care homes after members of Unite, GMB, and Prospect unions at Sellafield raised £30,000 in a community fundraising campaign.
Members of Forth’s own staff have also donated and delivered more than 2,000 masks to Workington and Millom Community Hospitals as well as to community nursing teams in the rest of the area.
Forth has also provided support to a local volunteer group who have been sewing and making scrubs for NHS staff and other front line carers across Cumbria and beyond.
It has given up its office space at its Cleator Moor base for free to charity organisation Scrub Hub North West which delivers to local hospitals and volunteers’ homes.
Graham Cartwright, Forth projects director said: “Scrub Hub has been phenomenal and it’s been incredible to help them. The effort the volunteers have put in in such a short space of time is astounding.”

Mark Telford, managing director of Forth Engineering

Graham Cartwright, Forth projects director, with Scrub Hub North West volunteers Eleanor Billson (left) and Claire Riley (right) Graeme McLaughlin and Graham Cartwright of Forth with one of their “Appreciation Tour” vehicles

This press release was issued by 32West on behalf of Forth Engineering (Cumbria) Ltd. If you have any questions or requests, please contact Jonathan Lee 07444-022038; jonathan@32west.co.uk