Ambulance for Romania
In July 2000, with lots of valuable help from voluntary groups
around the area, the Lowton Churches Romania Appeal was able
to send a much needed emergency ambulance to Romania. Three
years later the ambulance is invaluable to Sinaia and other
hospitals throughout the Prahova valley.
What has made the ambulance extra special for everyone in Lowton,
was that it was donated in memory of James Dickinson, who was
just nineteen when he died in 1999. James visited Romania over
a dozen times during the 90’s, working with special needs
children in Lugoj and enjoying skiing in the magnificent Carpathian
mountains around Sinaia.
James’s
ambulance is the only emergency ambulance based in that area,
which serves a widely spread population of 30,000, who live
each side of a 25 kilometre stretch of the Prahova valley.
Now the Lowton Churches Romania Appeal are able to obtain another
identical ambulance. This is to be donated in memory of Carol
Jones. Carol was a lifelong member of Lowton Independent Methodist
Church, church secretary and registrar for many years and died
in January last.
For over 10 years Carol was a tireless campaigner for the orphaned
children of Lugoj and supporter of the many “Camp Romania”
groups of mostly young people, who travel to Romania every summer,
to take children from the orphanages away on holiday. She is
very much missed, and all in Lowton feel that the ambulance
will be a fitting tribute to her memory.
Update
In
October 2003 the Trust successfully donated its second ambulance
to Romania. The gift was made possible by the Lowton Churches
Romania Appeal and was the latest in a series of Romania help
projects carried out by the Warrington based group.
After fund-raising throughout the summer, the Appeal group
were able to purchase and equip an ambulance before driving
it out overland to Romania. The original vehicle was left in
Sinaia but medical facilities remained stretched in the town
and it is now hoped the new ambulance will ease considerably
the burden on local resources.
The ambulance itself was dedicated to the memory of Carol Jones,
a Lowton volunteer who worked tirelessly on a number of charitable
projects over the years but sadly died earlier in 2003. It was
driven to the country by four volunteers from the area, Keith
Macklin and Andy Hampson, both from Lowton, and father and son
Don and Greg Patmore of Wigan.
Their
journey saw them cover 2,600 miles in four days with overnight
stops in Brussels, Linz and, once over the Romanian border,
in Oradea. The engine was put through its paces during three
days of motorways and autobahn driving before the suspension
was given a rigorous daylong examination on the roads of Romania.
It passed with flying colours and arrived in one piece –
and with its drivers still on speaking terms. Apart from an
argument with cashier at a toll road and a near miss with a
pedestrian on a Hungarian zebra crossing, it was fairly pleasant
trip. Nevertheless, they were all glad to be flying home.
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