Two paramedics from the Vale of Leven Hospital are hoping to raise money for charity that helps support blue light workers following the pandemic.

Long-time colleagues Wayne Dalton and Raymond Fleming are holding a golf day at the Vale of Leven Golf Club in support of mental health charity Mind.

And Wayne explained that the charity’s support for emergency workers during the pandemic was why they chose to support them.

Wayne told the Reporter: “The last two years have been extremely tough on everyone, so we thought it would be great to get together with some of our colleagues and extend the invitation out to other 999 services and the public.

“A lot of our friends used to love socialising as a way to relax, but of course, the pandemic put that to a halt. So people were struggling to find that down-time. We thought this would be the perfect opportunity to use that down-time to do something good and hopefully raise awareness.

“We chose Mind because it has a lot of projects going on, especially the Blue Light Together project aimed at emergency services which is very close to our hearts.”

The 54-year-old told a small snippet of what it was like working as a paramedic throughout the Covid pandemic.

He added: “We are always prepared to tackle flu, but this was a whole new ball game. At first we were really quiet because people were terrified to leave their homes, but now we are the busiest it has ever been.

“We just had to get on with things though. I wouldn’t say we got used to it. But we knew we had to keep going.”

Now he is looking forward to a good turnout at the event on June 10 – with anyone looking to take to the course for a good cause welcome.

However he is also keen to hear from local businesses who could help support the tournament.

He added: “Vale of Leven Golf Club have been very, very supportive of the plans.

“But we’re also looking for local businesses who want to get involved sponsoring the day, sponsoring a hole or doing what they can. Anything at all would be appreciated.”

For more information, or to sign up for the event, contact Wayne on waynedalton@blueyonder.co.uk.