When Yancoal Ashton coal operations received an application for assistance with funding by Lions Club of Singleton Lioness it ticked all the boxes.
The application was a request to assist the Singleton branch with funding to purchase a blanket warmer for patients attending the renal clinic at Singleton Hospital.
Six patients attend the clinic Monday to Saturday and the comfort of a nice, warm, snuggly blanket certainly helps them during the process.
Operations manager at Yancoal Ashton coal operations Aaron McGuigan said the application was exactly the type of project the company liked to support.
“Our community support program aims to assist projects with funding and in this case, Lioness were asking us to go 50/50 in the costs of purchasing the blanket warmer,” Aaron said.
“We like to support projects that assist others and in this case, the impact will support a lot of people,” he said.
“It is great to see the impact our support will have, this is one of the exciting parts of the job.”
Lioness’ involvement with the renal unit goes back to the early 1980s when one of their much loved members, Bev Kifford, needed kidney dialysis. At the time Bev had to travel to Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney for her treatment and she was keen to set up a dialysis unit in Singleton.
Lioness’ responded to the need and began a campaign to set up the service in 1984 and two years later it was open.
They have continued to support the unit over the years and this latest donation, an $8000 blanket warmer will add to the comfort of patients.
“It is a project we have had great passion for, we wanted to see it happen but it was taking time to raise the full amount. When member Narelle Taylor discovered the Yancoal Ashton grant program she was onto it and here we are,” President Sue Gardiner said.
Patients get cold very quickly during the dialysis process but now they get a warm blanket as soon as they come in.
Aaron said their grant program is not widely known and he encourages members of the community to apply for funding which is now open.
The applications go through a review panel to ensure it meets the aims of the community support fund.
“We want to make it as simple as possible and I encourage people to apply,” he said.
See the advertisement on page 7 for further information about the grant opportunity.
