All wrapped up

Warrington driver Andy Whittle and his team of first-aiders scooped a bundle of wins at the 2019 Royal Mail National First Aid competition finals in Telford.

Andy took the top spot wrapping up the individual reserve win as well as coming first in the coveted bandage category.

Teammate, Warrington postman, James Pointon won the third-place bandage prize, while the team, including Warrington postwoman, Diana Swift, took the third-place overall team prize.

‘I feel that first aid training is vital for everybody as you never know when your skills will be called upon,’ said Andy. ‘To win at this level of the competition is something I’m immensely proud of.’

For heartwarming stories of our first-aid trained colleagues who used their skills at critical moments see this week’s RMtv and November’s Courier.

Warrington night distribution manager Graham Thubron said Andy always tries to organise things so that the team can participate in the annual event. ‘Andy is truly enthusiastic about the first aid competitions and dedicates a lot of his own time to ensuring that the team is well prepared.

‘I’m always happy to support where I can in terms of releasing Andy as I know the cause is a worthwhile one. Andy’s first aid skills are also a huge benefit and comfort to those on his shift, knowing they’ll be well looked after in an emergency, so it’s really useful for him to take part in these events on a regular basis.’

Being a first aider at Royal Mail is a great way to learn new skills, which are recognised both inside and outside of the business.

With safety being such an important priority at Royal Mail, having enough trained first aiders is crucial to ensure we can keep colleagues as safe as possible while at work.