Wednesday 1st October 2014 – 4.15pm – Suzie Wheaton.
After several years of hard work TAME (Tamworth Area Medical Emergency) Community First Responders celebrated the purchase of a new responder vehicle.
Saturday 20th September saw the unveiling of the brand new BMW 320d Estate car for the volunteer scheme.
Community First Responders (CFRs) are members of the public from all walks of life who give up their spare time to help make a difference in their communities.
All CFRs are trained by the Ambulance Service to a nationally recognised level and help to reach those people suffering from medical emergencies in the remote rural communities fast, prior to the arrival of an ambulance. In many illnesses or injuries the first few minutes are critical and simple interventions can be performed in order to save lives or prevent disability.
The project to raise funds for the new car was initially spearheaded by Graham Barlow of Tamworth Rotary Club, and saw all six service charities in Tamworth work together to raise money for the scheme. Together with a donation of £1,000 from the Dotshill Women’s Institute, a cheque for £12,868 was handed of the responders.
Councillor Tina Clements, the Mayor of Tamworth for 2012/13 also donated £4,000 to the scheme. These funds enabled the responders to purchase their band new vehicle.
The new car was unveiled by the Mayor of Tamworth, Councillor Richard Kingstone, in front of a large crowd of supporters in Tamworth Castle Grounds.
Representatives of each of the service club charities and Staffordshire Fire and Rescue Service attended the celebration. At the Ceremony, the Chairman of the First Responders, Keith Dawson, thanked the charities for their hard work and commitment over the years. Councillor Clements and Tamworth Councillors were thanked for her support as well as Dosthill WI. He also thanked the friends of TAME and the community of Tamworth for their support to this project.
Victoria Tufail, WMAS Community Response Manager said: “West Midlands Ambulance Service prides itself on having excellent community schemes that are in place around the region. CFRs are vital in rural communities and it is without doubt that thanks to their efforts, dedication and actions, lives have been saved.
“CFR schemes are entirely funded by charitable donations, so as well as responding to medical emergencies many CFRs actively carry out fundraising events to help raise money for their scheme, which is a true testament to their dedication. This money goes towards funding responder kits and in some case, such as this, to purchase and maintain response vehicles.”
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