Sponsors sought for first aid convention in city

May 5 2008 by David Bartlett, Liverpool Daily Post

SPONSORS are being sought for a key First Aid convention which will be held in Liverpool this summer.

The city’s parks will play host to a series of mock emergency scenarios next month when the city welcomes the International Red Cross. Hundreds of delegates from 30 European countries will converge on Liverpool when the British Red Cross hosts the FACE (First Aid Convention in Europe) 2008.

The conference, which is being hosted by the Echo Arena and the University of Liverpool, will allow delegates to exchange new ideas and developments in the world of first aid, and to compete in a tough day-long test of their skills.

However, the event still needs to raise around £50,000 in funding to help put on the event.

October Communications, which is handling the PR for the event, has said it will pay £1,000 to sponsor one of the teams and is encouraging other Merseyside businesses to do the same.

Everybody potentially benefits from the service provided by the volunteers, and FACE is the event at which the latest techniques and skills are passed on and developed.

Area operations director for Merseyside, John Sutherland, said: “We couldn’t be more pleased to be hosting FACE 2008. It really is an honour for both the Merseyside branch of the British Red Cross and the city of Liverpool.

“It will give our European visitors to FACE 2008 the opportunity to experience the wealth of cultural attractions the city has to offer and of course, experience first hand the world-renowned Scouse hospitality.”

Liverpool was chosen by The Federation of Red Cross Societies as the host destination for its 2008 First Aid Convention in Europe (FACE) and this is only the second time this prestigious event has been staged in the UK.

The convention will take place at the Echo Arena on the city’s waterfront and begins with a spectacularly colourful opening ceremony on Friday, June 20.

Teams from each of the 28 countries participating will parade around the arena in their country’s colours and bearing their national flags.

A range of innovative first aid British Red Cross projects will also be presented, including a focus on psycho-social first aid.

The second phase of FACE 2008, the competitive element, takes place in and around the campuses of the University of Liverpool, on Saturday, June 21.

Competitors will have to use their First Aid skills to deal with up to 13 emergency scenarios, several of which can be viewed by the public in nearby Greenbank and Sefton Parks.

Mr Sutherland added: “The teams will begin the competition at 8am on the Saturday morning and it will continue until around 6pm that evening.

“It is a fairly intensive day, but very enjoyable for all those involved. There will be five ‘mocked-up’ accident scenarios in the two parks which will give the public some insight into the work of the Red Cross.”

FOR further information about sponsoring FACE 2008 contact Julie Shannon on 0151 236 2323.

davidbartlett