A collaboration between two emergency services charities is putting the focus firmly on mental health and wellbeing for fire fighters across the UK.

The Fire Fighters Charity has secured funding from PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation to train and develop its in-house therapy team in EMDR (Eye Movement Desensitisation and Reprocessing), Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) approaches.

The Fire Fighters Charity is the leading provider of rehabilitation and support services for the fire and rescue community, including serving and retired firefighters, fire service personnel and their dependents.  It already offered psychological support to those attending it three rehabilitation centres but this funding means it can develop its mental health programmes and provide tailored support to meet individual need.

Sharon Bailey, Director of Beneficiary Services at The Fire Fighters Charity, said: “It’s very important to us that we provide the right therapist and the right intervention and that we can integrate this support into a physical rehabilitation programme or offer stand-alone mental health programmes.

“The funding is already making a difference to our beneficiaries and has been fundamental to us in driving our psychological services forward.  We are very grateful to PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation for its ongoing support.”

PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation was set up to help injured emergency services personnel after PC David Rathband was himself injured whilst on duty.   The Foundation provided a grant of £60k to The Fire Fighters Charity in 2012 to develop a mental and emotional wellbeing pilot programme.  The further funding for staff training and development comes on the back of the success of that pilot.

Peter Sweeney, Chairman of PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation, said: “We understand first-hand how the job that our emergency services personnel do can cause not only physical injuries but also mental health issues too.  We started the journey with The Fire Fighters Charity to help put new programmes in place and we’re hopeful we can continue to support them as this journey continues.

“This collaboration is one of a number in which we are engaged, providing mental wellbeing support across the three 999 services to those in need.”

-ENDS-

For further information, contact:

Sharron Ashurst, PR Director, PC David Rathband’s Blue Lamp Foundation

07775 801471 or email s.ashurst@bluelamp-foundation.org