A GROUP of life-saving volunteers were given a special Christmas present thanks to the generosity of a Coventry-based company.
The Coventry Building Society made a huge £20,000 donation to the Coventry Community Responder (CCR) group which has allowed them to buy a second car to attend 999 calls.
CCR is a Community First Responder scheme with volunteers who 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.
The keys to the fully equipped Skoda Yeti was handed over to the group’s Chairman Mark Tolan by the city’s Lord Mayor Michael Hammon and Anna Cuskin, from Coventry Building Society.
Mr Tolan said they estimated the car would enable them to attend about 1,000 more patients every year.
He added they would like to thank Coventry Building Society immensely for their kind donation which was the largest they had ever made to any charity.
He added it would enable their volunteers to attend numerous 999 calls and could help save numerous lives.
“The earlier a patient in cardiac arrest receives a shock, the much more likely they are to survive,” Mr Tolan said.
“All of our responders are volunteers who give up their spare time in addition to their own jobs.
“It is very satisfying being a CFR and knowing that you have made a difference to someone’s life.”
Ms Cuskin said so many of their members lived in Coventry so when they heard about the fantastic work the community first responders did, they were delighted to be able to support them.
She added: “They really can make the difference between life and death.”
Visit www.wmas.nhs.uk for more.
