Tuesday 10th November 2015 – 11.20am – Murray MacGregor.
A group of life saving volunteers have been ‘prescribed’ a cash boost thanks to the generosity of a Coventry based company.
Celesio UK, parent company of LloydsPharmacy and AAH Pharmaceuticals based in Coventry, has presented a cheque for £2,000 to Coventry Community Responders (CCR).
CCR is a Community First Responder scheme whose volunteers are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service to a nationally recognised standard. They can be called upon to attend medical emergencies in their area while a blue-light vehicle is en-route.
Carl Rose, who’s been involved with the Coventry responders for about 2 years, said: “Being a CFR means that I have the opportunity to give something back to the community I work in. It is very satisfying knowing that you have made a difference to someone’s life.
“I am heavily involved in the fundraising we carry out so that we can provide the best service we can. We are very grateful to Celesio UK for such a generous donation. We’ll be able to buy even more equipment which means more people are available to respond to incidents such as cardiac arrests, heart attacks and strokes, where every second can make a difference.”
CCR Group Chairman, Mark Tolan, added: “Being a CFR is hugely rewarding; knowing that you’re helping someone who is in need of medical assistance. As a professional first aid trainer, my volunteering as a CFR also presents me with a range of medical experiences which I can pass on to those people I teach.
Cormac Tobin, Managing Director at Celesio UK, commented: “I admire the volunteers, who despite having full time jobs, give up their time to help local emergency services look after their patients.
“I believe we need to raise awareness of such notable causes and recognise the people doing incredible work at a local level.
“We are very pleased to support such an honourable cause. The work undertaken throughout Celesio UK is about helping patients directly within their communities; we feel the work the Coventry Community Responders undertake is vital for the health of those people living within a community we serve.”
Cllr. David Skinner, Westwood Ward in Coventry, said: “When I was taken ill, the First Responders arrived before my wife had even finished the 999 call. I was in University Hospital Coventry & Warwickshire within 40 minutes or so. I have the most profound respect for the first responders and West Midlands Ambulance Service overall.”
Carl added: “We’ve also had a second funding boost; Shiraz & Sons Pharmacies across Coventry will place collecting tins in their stores to allow members of the public to support the good work of the Coventry Community Responders.”
If you would like to volunteer as a community first responder for West Midlands Ambulance Service, you can find out more details here. All vacancies are advertised via the NHS Jobs website.
Mark says it’s fantastic that Celesio have presented the group with a cheque for £2,000:
Carl explains why it is important to have CFRs in the community:
Carl (left) and Mark (right)
Carl Rose, Cormac Tobin, Mark Tolan, Adam Aston
Paul Smith (Celesio), Chris Gordon (Celesio), Carl Rose (CCR), Cormac Tobin (Celesio), Mark Tolan (CCR), Adam Aston (WMAS), Chris Frost (Celesio)
Ends