08 Jun George Best City Airport Supports NI Transplant
Local charity, the Northern Ireland Transplant Association, has been selected as George Best Belfast City Airport’s charity partner of the year for 2015.
The recent announcement follows reports that there are currently 200 people in Northern Ireland on the organ transplant waiting list. With only 33% of the local community registered on the organ donor list, the lack of supply to meet demand has resulted in 15 preventable deaths a year.
The Northern Ireland Transplant Association provides a service to all those going through the hardships of organ donation. By partnering with the charity, Belfast City Airport will be supporting numerous fundraising events throughout the year, with the hopes of raising crucial funds for the charity and promoting organ donation.
Erica Ferguson, Chairwoman for the Northern Ireland Transplant Association said: “This is an amazing opportunity for a small local charity like ourselves to be included in the charity efforts of a large organisation such as George Best Belfast City Airport.
“The partnership will be instrumental in boosting our presence with the public whilst also stressing the importance of signing onto the organ donor register and informing loved ones in advance. Each donor can save up to seven lives which is incredible!
“The funding from the airport will remain in Northern Ireland to help support local families affected by organ donation and transplantation. We provide travel expenses to hospitals for families to visit a loved one, personal necessities and any wheelchairs or other equipment to assist those in need as much as possible.
Stephen Patton, Human Resources Manager at George Best Belfast City Airport, said: “One of our key missions at Belfast City Airport is to support the local community by assisting charitable projects to carry out their vital work and help those in need.
“Organ donation is an ongoing issue in Northern Ireland and so many need to travel to the mainland to undergo a transplant each year, so working at the airport, our staff see just how many people are affected.
“All members of the Northern Ireland Transplant Association are voluntary workers, and both the Transplant Association and the Airport share the same community values which makes the charity a perfect choice for our partnership this year.
“Through the partnership, we hope to raise the profile of organ donation in Northern Ireland and with the amount of people travelling through the airport everyday this is very achievable.”
Courtesy of Business First Online