The touching reasons why Preston nursery staff are off to swim with some Blackpool sharks!
A team from a Preston nursery school are planning to get very fishy this weekend for an important cause.
A group of four nursery practitioners from Walton-le-Dale’s Ashbridge on Ribble Day Nursery, as well as the nursery’s manager, chef and one of its HR staff have formed themselves into Team Sharkbait and this coming Saturday, will don wetsuits to take a deep dive into Blackpool Sea Life Centre’s Ocean Tunnel to swim alongside sharks, giant green sea turtles and stingrays among other aquatic creatures.
Why are they doing it?
Their daring under water exploit is all to raise funds for mums and babies charity Baby Beat for the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) at the Royal Preston Hospital’s Sharoe Green Maternity Unit.
NICU at the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit looks after 400-450 premature and poorly babies from throughout Lancashire and South Cumbria annually.
It is supported by Baby Beat, which is part of the Lancashire Teaching Hospitals charity family.
Baby Beat funds specialist equipment, other patient services and comforts, clinical care, local research, additional training and staff welfare projects at the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit, which also cares for babies and mums from the Central Lancashire and Chorley area.
What has been said about their?
Nursery chef Lisa Pocock, who has organised the scary swim, said: “We’re all excited but getting nervous now. As we look after babies and children, our plan is do something annually that takes us out of our comfort zone to raise money for a charity that helps children.
“Last year, we did a parachute jump for Alder Hey Children’s Hospital. I have a friend who works on NICU at the Sharoe Green Maternity Unit. She tells me about all the equipment Baby Beat funds to help the babies and families NICU looks after and that’s why we’re supporting Baby Beat this year.”
Lisa added: “Some of our older children in the pre-school group know what we’re planning to do. One child wanted to know who would make their dinner if I was eaten by a shark on Saturday but all being well, I won’t need replacing!”
Menanwhile Joanna Allitt, fundraising manager for Baby Beat, said: “We wish Team Sharkbait the very best of luck on Saturday. We can’t wait to hear how they get on. Swimming with sharks and sea turtles is a great fundraising idea.”
How can I support them?
Team Sharkbait has set up an online donation page at https://www.justgiving.com/page/jazmin-hoyle-1 to help members raise funds.
The group has already held an 80s night at The Northern Way pub in Friargate, Preston, in which they organised a raffle and received £300 in sponsorship from BAE Systems’ Manufacturing Branch to boost their total.
For further information on Baby Beat’s work and how to support, visit www.babybeat.org.uk