By 
A LOCAL health worker has once again gone above and beyond for charity, raising nearly £1,400 for Children in Need during his 31st year of collecting donations.
Winston Gilmore, a member of the Western Trust’s support services team at Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex, is well-known to staff and visitors for his annual tradition of donning a costume and collecting donations for the much-loved charity appeal.
This year, Mr Gilmore dressed himself as a mouse and stationed himself at the main entrances of both the Omagh Hospital and Primary Care Complex and the Tyrone and Fermanagh Hospital, where generous members of the public and staff helped him raise an impressive £1,390.53.
“Without the generosity of you all this would not be possible,” Mr Gilmore said.
“Thank you to everyone who kindly supported this worthy charity.”
He also extended his gratitude to the management teams at both hospital sites for once again giving him permission to collect on their premises.
Mr Gilmore said he remained deeply appreciative of the continued kindness shown by colleagues, visitors and the wider community.
Recalling how he first started collecting, Mr Gilmore previously told the Ulster Herald, “The Western Trust simply didn’t have the money to go around.
“It was then that myself and my good friend and hospital porter Keith Donnell decided we’d do a charity collection around all the different departments.
“We got everything authorised, rented costumes, got a few buckets and went to work.
“That first year we raised £181… The fact we spent half our time running around the wards having the craic with patients probably cut into our productivity.”
The following year, Keith stepped away, making space for Roy Graham, who for the next 25 years served as Winston’s right hand man; his brother in altruistic arms.
“Roy and I loved the craic of the whole thing. We enjoyed interacting with the patients and staff.
“We loved the smiles on the children’s faces as we stuck our buckets through the car windows. We loved knowing that the money we were making was being used to help children across Northern Ireland.”
