NHS staff at Royal Bolton Hospital’s Intensive Care Unit were recently treated to a surprise visitor to lift their spirits after a gruelling shift.
There’s no denying that the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic has taken a physical and mental toll on frontline workers up and down the country, but luckily, staff at Royal Bolton Hospital had some emotional support provided by a recent visit from Mason – a Yellow Labrador cross Golden Retriever from Guide Dogs’ Atherton-based training centre.
Due to a lack of confidence when making certain decisions, “gentle dog” Mason sadly wasn’t suitable for becoming a guide dog and is now training for the new role as a buddy dog for a child with a vision impairment instead.
Mason is currently being looked after by Sarah Thornton who, alongside her busy role in the intensive care unit at the hospital, also fosters for Guide Dogs in her free time, and has found that coming home to Mason after stressful and difficult shifts working during the ongoing pandemic has been a real comfort to her.
So, after seeking the relevant permissions, Sarah decided to take Mason into the hospital to let her colleagues have a much-needed cuddle too.
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“Staff morale on the critical care wards has been hit hard by COVID.” Sarah said.
“Lots of people have died leaving a big psychological impact on staff wellbeing [so] to be able to take Mason in has been invaluable.
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“It’s what the staff really needed”.
Sarah’s colleague Neal Ashurst, who works as an Operating Department Practitioner on the unit, described Mason’s visit as “the best day at work”.
Once restrictions are lifted later in the year, Mason will be able to progress on his journey to becoming a buddy dog and be matched to a child with a vision impairment – but in the meantime, he is making a significant difference to the happiness of many people.
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Buddy dogs help children with a vision impairment to enjoy the benefits of having a well-behaved dog. While they are not a mobility aid, they do help to build confidence and lead to better relationships with others, as well as greater wellbeing.
Some children with a vision impairment can lack confidence, which has a knock-on effect to other areas of development, so having a buddy dog by their side can help them to thrive, and children gain a sense of independence by taking responsibility for the care of the dog, completing activities like grooming, and feeding with the help of their family.
Verity De-Winton – Support Dog Lead at Guide Dogs – said: “Buddy dogs help to transform a child’s life.
“Parents report seeing remarkable changes in their children’s confidence and behaviour.
“Children who have previously been shy cannot wait to get out of the house with a buddy dog by their side”.
Featured Image – Guide Dogs
Bolton
Police appeal after man dies and three others ‘seriously injured’ during M61 collision near Bolton
Emily Sergeant
A public appeal has been made after a collision on the M61 near Bolton has left a man dead and three others with serious injuries.
Lancashire Police, along with accompanying emergency services, were called out to the southbound carriage of the M61, close to Rivington Services near Bolton and Chorley, at around 11:38pm on Tuesday (15 October), and when they attended the scene, they found that a Citroen C1 had collided with a barrier and then been in collision with a Mercedes also travelling in the same direction.
Despite the best efforts of all involved, a passenger in the Citroen – a man in his 20s – was sadly pronounced dead at the scene, police have confirmed.
The driver of the Citroen and another passenger also suffered serious injuries, and the driver of the Mercedes suffered serious injuries too.
All three were taken to hospital for treatment.
The police are now appealing to the Greater Manchester and Lancashire public for information, witnesses, and dashcam footage – with Sergeant Kasim Hussain, of Lancashire Police’s Road Policing Unit, commenting: “This collision has very sadly seen a young man lose his life, and my thoughts first and foremost are with his family and loved ones and this distressing time.
“The carriageway has been closed for some time while officers carry out an investigation into what happened.
“But as part of the investigation, we are appealing for anyone who witnessed the collision to contact us. If anyone was driving on the M61 near the scene of the collision and has dashcam footage, we want to hear from them.”
Any witnesses, or anyone with any information or footage, is asked to contact 101, quoting log 1497 of 15 October 2024, or by emailing [email protected].
Featured Image – GMP
Bolton
Free festival of immersive light installations to shine on Bolton again this Christmas
Emily Sergeant
A festival full of fantastic immersive light art installations is set to shine on Bolton again in a couple of months time.
Back by popular demand after proving to be such a success during its inaugural year in 2023, with the first-of-its-kind event attracting more than 50,000 visitors, the Put Big Light On Festival is back for another year of festive magic this December, and there’s some huge and impressive art installations set to descend on the Greater Manchester town’s centre.
Curated by artistic events company, Things That Go On Things, the festival will take place right across Bolton during the first full week of December.
This year’s lineup will feature magical creations from a diverse range of artists – with the stand-out being a stunning large-scale projection called ‘YARN’, which will transform the iconic Bolton Town Hall building into a series of captivating scenes filled with vibrant colour, dynamic motion, and immersive sound.
Another one of the breathtaking installations will be ‘GAIA’, which features detailed NASA imagery of the Earth’s surface to provide visitors with the opportunity to see our planet floating in three dimensions.
Accompanying this year’s festival programme will be an exhibition over at Bolton Museum called Bright Ideas, showcasing the stunning creations of local company, Neon Creations, as well as other specially-commissioned pieces.
As well as the festival, there will also be plenty of street entertainment over the festive period too, and residents can expect lots of family activities in the run-up to and during the event.
A free festival of immersive light installations will shine on Bolton again this Christmas / Credit: Bolton Council
“We are delighted to bring back the Put Big Light On Festival this year, especially having won Greater Manchester’s Town of Culture,” commented Cllr Nadeem Ayub, who is the Executive Cabinet Member for Culture at Bolton Council, ahead of the festival’s return this December.
“This year’s festival will showcase stunning light installations that invite everyone to explore our town in a new and exciting way.
“We encourage visitors to join us for this free event and experience the magic of light art.”