The volunteers of Newark Community First Aid are determined to provide high quality care to all those who use our services. Since our charity began in August 2013 we have been committed to developing our services - purchasing additional Mobile Treatment Units, adding to and upgrading our first aid equipment and resources and recruiting and training more volunteers.

We now though need your help - we need additional funds to purchase a new First Aid Treatment Centre for Newark Showground. We need your help due to deterioration in the present building used as a First Aid Post and damage done to our finances during the Coronavirus pandemic.

The present First Aid Post is housed in a portacabin provided by the showground owners Newark and Nottinghamshire Agricultural Society (NNAS). In 2013 the original Post built in 1975 was demolished and the portacabin was brought into service for first aid with funds from both NNAS and ourselves. Though never an ideal building we were able to produce a warm, hygienic and private facility with 3 treatment areas and a staff rest room. The portacabin though is 40+ years old and by 2019 the fabric of the building was deteriorating due to age and weathering. Portacabin pictured below.

We decided in autumn 2019 that a replacement was needed but then the pandemic hit and we had to prioritise our efforts onto community support. From the lockdown of March 2020 to March 2021 the building was rarely used and lack of heating and the ravages of weather took their toll. At our AGM in September 2020 we highlighted the need for a new building and started to work on possible designs and a change of location on site to improve the use of the facility. In April 2021 we held discussions with NNAS as we believe the present building has only 12 - 18 months operational life left.

In our discussions with the CEO of Newark Showground it was agreed that we should purchase a new modular building for use as a Treatment Centre. The building would be 30% larger than the current portacabin and would be designed to meet the needs of patients now and in the future. It would also be relocated close to blue gate which is now the centre of activity at the showground. The map below shows the current site in red and the new site in green.

Since the original first aid post was built in 1975 many things have changed; the number of events held on site has increased dramatically, the type of events have changed bringing a different crowd profile, new buildings have been erected. This has combined with a change in patient profile with less cases of trauma due to improved health & safety but more cases of medical emergencies and increasing numbers of mental ill health. The new building and new location will take account of these changes and will enable our volunteers to provide a better service. New Treatment Centre pictured below.

The new building will, as above, be a 5 bay construction with 3 bays allocated to a clinical treatment area and 2 bays for staff and administration. It will provide improved access for those with mobility issues and patients who are wheelchair users with ramps and an extra wide ambulance bay door for bariatric and motorised chairs. The ambulance entrance will mean stretcher cases can be transferred in and out without the need to lift - a major problem in the current building. An accessible toilet in the treatment area will be an asset - it will allow our volunteers to aid patients with toileting when needed and will act as a sluice room. The whole building will have wipeable walls and ceilings with bonded floors for ease of cleaning - this will allow our first aiders to maintain the highest standards of infection control. The Coronavirus has also highlighted the need for ventilation and tip & tilt windows will provide a much more controllable air flow. Heating and led lighting will both be improved and combined with vastly improved insulation will provide a warm welcoming environment whilst reducing energy use. The clinical area will be made up of 3 treatment areas alongside storage and waste collection zones. The overall patient experience will be enhanced.

Our volunteers spend a great deal of time providing care at Newark Showground, in 2019 the last 'normal' year we provided first aid cover on 115 days plus 21 days of event set up. Large events running for several days also need overnight cover - 62 nights were covered in 2019. We clearly need rest and catering facilities which are extremely limited in the current building. The new build will include a mini-kitchen, staff toilet and shower with a rest room and office. The office will allow for safe storage of patient records, contact point on arrival at the centre and a radio communication room for large events.

The building has an estimated lifespan of 40+ years and will enable our volunteers to give care to the sick and injured - saving lives and reducing suffering.

This new development is part of our plan to develop and improve our first aid services in our operational area - Newark and the villages and small towns in a 14 mile radius. Once the new Treatment Centre is operational, its new location will mean it can service many more events and Mobile Treatment Units will be released to serve at other events in our wider area.

The cost of the new First Aid Treatment Centre will be £85,000. We will be investing £20,000 directly from our funds, we already have funding pledged for an additional £20,000. We are applying to funding bodies for £25,000 but we must raise £20,000 via fundraising.

It is that £20,000 where you can help. Please donate or organise a fundraising activity or support our fundraising activities. You could for example buy a £1 lottery ticket each week in the Newark and Sherwood Lottery - by linking to our charity as your chosen cause we will receive 50p from each ticket you buy and you may win £25,000 in the weekly draw. Go to :newark&sherwoodlottery.co.uk and find our page or use the QR code below.

Your help will allow us to provide care to those who become ill or injured whilst attending events at the Showground.