Staff from the Burns Unit at the Royal Preston Hospital have raised more than £5,000 to help their patients by climbing Mount Snowdon after being inspired by a former patient, Abbeystead Disaster survivor John Holmes, who joined them on their trek.
John, of St Michaels on Wyre, completed a two-day sponsored walk from Silverdale to Garstang in May last year to commemorate the 40th anniversary of the disaster, which claimed the lives of 16 people and left many others, including John, with serious burns.
The tragedy had unfolded on a visit to a valve house (pumping station) on the Abbeystead Estate. John was one of a group of 44 guests invited by the North West Water Authority to watch a demonstration of operations to alleviate flooding in St Michaels on Wyre. They were all inside the underground building when it blew up and filled with water. The explosion was later found to have been caused by a build-up of methane gas.
John’s trek raised an incredible £36,302.42 for the unit, which is currently being spent on a catalogue of items to improve patient comfort and boost recovery. Now the Snowdon funds will be added to it.
Lucy Clark, a fundraiser for Lancashire Teaching Hospitals Charity, who along with her 12-year-old daughter Freya took part in the Snowdon climb, said: “The whole Burns Unit team was totally inspired by John and led by advanced clinical practitioner Marcia Roach, decided to follow in his footsteps by fundraising through the sponsored walk route.
“Despite terrible weather, it was an amazing experience to climb Snowdon with John and a team of staff so committed to their patients. There were 23 of us altogether as various family members and friends also joined in. In addition, we had five volunteer guides and a support crew, which waited for us at the foot of the mountain, although a few came up by train to cheer us to the summit. We are very grateful to everyone who supported us and sponsored us.”