The Romans are coming ... to visit children at the Newcastle General Hospital!
See news item on the BBC Website :
Children receiving specialist care at the Newcastle General Hospital will receive a surprise visit from a troop of Centurions next week, as a team of naval personnel from HMS Dauntless, Newcastle’s adopted ship, prepare to embark on a 150 mile charity relay-run all the way from Glasgow.
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The ‘part-time’ Centurions are hoping to raise in excess of £1,000 on behalf of Ward 26 at the Newcastle General Hospital and will leave Glasgow early on Monday morning, running via Dumfries and Hexham, paying Hadrian’s Wall a quick visit on the way. The shipmates expect to arrive at the hospital on Wednesday 11th March 2009 around midday where they will be welcomed by children and staff from the ward as well as their future Commanding Officer, Captain R L Powell, MA Royal Navy.
The staff on Ward 26 provide expert medical and surgical care for young people with major neurological trauma and specialise in the treatment and rehabilitation of children with head injuries as well as children with immune system problems
Warrant Officer Shaun Day, 45 from Portsmouth is President of the Senior Rates’ Mess which adopted Ward 26 as its charity. “We were very pleased when we were asked to support the children’s ward – all the staff do an incredible job day in, day out so it is an extremely worthwhile cause. We are looking forward to our arrival in Newcastle and raising some money along the way”.
Chief Petty Officer Mark Stokes, 40 from Cardiff said “Obviously we are looking forward to it but it does seem odd that we are covering 150 miles starting at sea level and finishing at sea level, yet most of the run will be up uphill !”
Ward 26 has historically been affiliated with HMS Newcastle which has come to the end of her naval career and will be replaced by HMS Dauntless, currently in dock at Scotstoun, Glasgow where she is being fitted with the very latest defence systems. HMS Dauntless will become affiliated with the Great North Children’s Hospital when they are both fully operational in 2010 and all the children’s wards have been transferred across from the Newcastle General Hospital to their new home at the RVI.
Helga Charters, Matron for Children’s Services at the Newcastle Hospitals said “We are thrilled to have had such a wonderful affiliation with the naval crew of HMS Newcastle and look forward to building on our relationship with them when the brand new HMS Dauntless has been fully commissioned. The crew has been really supportive to us over the years and the children love meeting them when they take time out to visit us in hospital. We are all really excited about welcoming the new ship when she comes up the Tyne next year.”
HMS Dauntless is a Type 45 Destroyer - the largest and most powerful Air Defence Destroyer ever built for the Royal Navy, she is equipped with the most advanced anti-air missile systems setting new standards in world-class military capability.
The Ship’s Motto is: Nil Desperandum ('Never Despair') – we certainly hope our runners take comfort in their motto as they head towards Newcastle!
After visiting the Newcastle General Hospital, the 40 strong crew will be working with residential groups and Newcastle City Council’s Neighbourhood Response Teams to help with a massive “spring clean” across the community and city parklands including Byker, Ouseburn Farm Community Project and Leazes Park.
If you would like to support the running Centurions, you can easily make a donation online at http://www.justgiving.com/glasgow-newcastle-run.
Notes for editors:
HMS Dauntless will begin her sea trials in June and is part of the most powerful destroyer class ever built in the UK and one of the most advanced warships in the world.
She is equipped with a state of the art air defence system which will be able to track and destroy a target the size of a cricket ball travelling three times the speed of sound.
Over 150m long, Dauntless will have a range of 7000 nautical miles.
Together with her five sister ships, HMS Dauntless is designed to be a flexible multi-role vessel able to carry out a variety of tasks across the globe, from air defence role to humanitarian and anti-piracy roles.
For more information about HMS Dauntless’s visit to Newcastle General Hospital please phone Lynn Watson on 0191 223 1374.
Please phone Charlotte Sly on 0191 211 5057 for more information about HMS Dauntless and interview requests.
