Littlehampton diners on course to aid mercy mission

CUSTOMERS and the owners of a Littlehampton restaurant have given a major boost to a trailblazing charity which delivers fire engines and other kit to countries desperately in need of life-saving equipment.

The Vardar Restaurant, in Selborne Road, raised £1,611 with a Macedonian Evening in aid of Operation Florian, including a £500 donation from Littlehampton Rotary Club, which meets at the venue.

The Vardar donated half its takings and a bumper raffle with prizes donated by local businesses boosted the total.

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It’s likely the money will be used to train firefighters in Macedonia in rescue techniques for road crashes.

Roy Barraclough, district fire commander for Worthing and Shoreham, has made several trips to the former Yugoslavia to deliver fire engines and equipment and help with the training of firefighters there.

He thanked Vardar owners Peter and Loreta Stojanowski for the money raised on the night and is due to return to Macdeonia early next month to make a further delivery.

Among the places he will be travelling to is Resen, where Peter grew up. Peter is also visiting the area in May and hopes to see some of Operation Florian’s work

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“The aim is to provide a sustainable, long-term rescue service in countries where they are decades behind what we have at the moment. We speak to an area and decide, with them, what their needs are. They make a donation to cover some of the costs,” explained Roy.

“We deliver the fire engine, but we also train people how to use it, the pumps and the latters. We also take new fire kit such as breathing apparatus, which they just don’t have, and give them training in that, too.

“Most of the fire engines in Macedonia are from the 1940s and 50s, so they badly need newer ones. Some fire services in the UK give us their old ones and some sell them for a small sum of money.

“We take mechanics with us, and they show how to repair the fire engines and to carry out day-to-day maintenance, and we keep in touch with them afterwards to check everything is ok.”

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Operation Florian, named after the patron saint of firefighters, is now being widened to include road crash rescue training and first aid, and to encourage better liaison between fire chiefs and encourage team-building among younger firefighters. The charity operates in countries around the world.

Commenting on his visits to Macedonia, Roy said: “They are lovely people – so welcoming, very accommodating and appreciative of the help we are able to give them.”

Said Loreta: “It means a lot to us to be able to give this help to our home country.”

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