Captain Sir Tom Moore funds help South Western Ambulance
NHS Charities Together boost emergency response services and volunteers
Last updated 31st Mar 2021
South Western Ambulance Charity is delighted to have been given more than £560,000 of new funding to bolster an army of volunteer responders and facilitate community projects across the region.
THANK YOU SIR TOM
The money's been made possible by members of the public who've donated to the NHS during the Covid-19 pandemic, including Captain Sir Tom Moore.
The cash will help to bolster an army of community first responder volunteers and facilitate additional community projects across Wiltshire, as well as Dorset, Devon, Gloucestershire, Somerset, Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.
COVID-19 PRESSURES
The funding will help to ease the pressure on the service at one of the most challenging times in its history.
SHARE OF £7M GRANT
The grant is part of £7m which has been allocated by population across all the ambulance charities in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland.
In the South West, this charity funding will be used to enhance the role of community first responders, who are trained volunteers dispatched to emergency incidents when every second counts - for example if someone isn't breathing, has chest pains, is unconscious or fitting - to administer basic life support until an ambulance service arrives.
Ellie Orton, Chief Executive for NHS Charities Together, said:
"At this time of immense challenge for the NHS we are delighted that we can make a real difference and ultimately help save lives by funding amazing community first responder volunteers and additional support for South Western Ambulance Service. It's thanks to the overwhelming support of the British public at this difficult time that we are able to fund these vital projects - the NHS has been doing an amazing job but as an independent charity we can provide additional support to help the NHS do more than it otherwise could. A heartfelt thank you to all of our supporters for helping us to care for the NHS."
Funding has been made available to NHS charities based with 13 ambulance trusts covering the entire UK. Five projects are ready to begin, based with South Western Ambulance Service, the London Ambulance Service, North West Ambulance Service, South Central Ambulance Service, and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
Robert Horton, Programme Responder Manager at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, said:
"When the team is responding to an emergency every second counts and our Community First Responders can make the difference between life and death. Having dedicated cars for volunteers which carries additional lifesaving equipment, made possible by the funding from NHS Charities Together, will make all the difference in volunteer availability, the access to volunteering and promotion of the amazing work our volunteers do. Our Community First Responders respond quickly within their community to help people in their time of need ahead of an ambulance."
The funding comes as ambulance services across the country have been dealing with the additional challenges of the Covid crisis. Together funding in the South West will provide:
* Observation equipment for community first responder volunteers
* Lifting chairs to community first responders so they can give early assistance to patients
* Dedicated community first responder group cars meaning swifter response to emergencies
* Awareness and training sessions for cardiac arrests, CPR, and defibrillation training for schools and community groups
* Funding for not-for-profit service GoodSAM, which automatically triggers alerts to any nearby cardiac arrests
* Improved services to meet the needs of those patients suffering mental health issues