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NHS Charities Together has allocated £7m from its COVID appeal to bolster an army of community first responder and other volunteers, who will work with ambulance crews across the UK to help ease the pressure on the service at one of the most challenging times in its history.
Seven million pounds has been allocated by population across all the ambulance services in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, including funding for sixty thousand additional volunteers and other community-focused projects.
Community First Responders are trained volunteers who are dispatched to emergency incidents when every second count – for example, if someone isn’t breathing, has chest pains, is unconscious or fitting – to administer basic life support until an ambulance service arrives.
Ambulance services across the UK have been dealing with the additional challenges of the Covid crisis. Thanks to the public’s support, NHS Charities Together is providing extra support for trained volunteers who will help reduce hospital admissions by giving the right care in the right place, ultimately helping to save lives.
A variety of projects will be funded across the UK, including:
- Recruiting additional 60,000 volunteers.
- Community access to defibrillators to help improve survival rates. Evidence shows that patients who are defibrillated by an out of hospital defibrillator alongside CPR could have a 50% increase in survival rate.
- Dedicated first responder groups cars to enable a swifter response to emergencies.
- Vital equipment such as tympanic thermometers, automatic blood pressure monitors and pulse oximeters to measure oxygen levels in the blood.
- Training the community to respond to out of hospital cardiac arrest, including CPR training for schools and community groups, with community engagement officers in hard-to-reach areas.
- Further training and other practical support for existing community first responders.
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 wonderful community first responder volunteers within the 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 keep on caring for the NHS, which will continue to need us now and in future as it recovers from the most challenging time in its history.”
Leeds-based Nick Huby, a BT Maintenance Engineer who has been a Community First Responder (CFR) for Yorkshire Ambulance Service for four years, said:
“When the team and I are responding to an emergency, every second count. Having cars and additional equipment will make all the difference to us being able to get to a patient quickly and get the best results for them – ultimately helping save lives and take pressure off the wider system.”
Funding has been made available to NHS charities based on 13 ambulance trusts covering the entire UK. Five projects are ready to begin, based on the London Ambulance Service, West Midlands Ambulance Service, South Central Ambulance Service, South Western Ambulance Service and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.
NHS Charities Together is an independent national charity caring for the NHS. It helps provide additional support to patients, NHS staff and volunteers, working through its 241 member charities based with hospitals, ambulance trusts, community health trusts, mental health trusts and health boards across the UK.
In total, NHS Charities Together’s COVID-19 Appeal raised £150 million thanks to the support from Captain Sir Tom and others. Over £118 million has already been made available to our 241 member charities to help patients, staff, and volunteers on the ground.
For more information about NHS Charities Together, please visit www.nhscharitiestogether.co.uk.
charitytoday.co.uk | 25 March 2021
CALLS to recognise and continue the exemplary COVID-19 emergency response achieved by the voluntary and community sector (VCS) on the pandemic’s one year anniversary are gaining pace today.
From feeding families in need to deliver thousands of volunteers for vaccination rollouts, the VCS’ vital provision over the past year has been unprecedented. Yet, for many on the frontline, their capacity is stretched to the maximum as they support the country’s most vulnerable with the long-term impacts of the pandemic.
The VCS Emergencies Partnership (EP), which brings together organisations to improve coordination at national and local levels before, during and after emergencies, has today released new figures and research highlighting the crucial role of the VCS in supporting Britain’s most vulnerable in times of crisis and beyond.
Set up in response to the lack of coordination of voluntary and community services during the Grenfell tragedy and other domestic emergencies in 2017, the EP has connected over 200 local organisations with major national charities like British Red Cross and St John’s Ambulance to work together to deliver vital services to Britain’s most affected during COVID-19.
Speaking about the sector’s crucial role in the pandemic, Jehangir Malik, Programme Director at VCS Emergencies Partnership, said:
“Since the Grenfell tragedy, it was clear that we needed to unite the power of the voluntary and community sectors to utilise resources, reduce harm, and ultimately save lives in an emergency. This vision has come to life during the COVID-19 response. The coordinated efforts of individual volunteers, national and local organisations working tirelessly together to respond to the emerging needs over the pandemic have been heroic. But we must not stop here.
“We face a long COVID shadow, with the impact on Britain’s most vulnerable communities set to be wide-reaching. Yet much voluntary staff are on the verge of burnout and concerned for their futures, with emergency funds and resources depleted. We need to act now. We are calling on the government to ensure adequate support is put in place for those vital grassroots organisations who are lifelines to their communities and to preserve this successful model so that together we can keep driving systemic change and get the right support at the right time to those who need it most in the years to come.”
To further mark the COVID anniversary and highlight the acute need for ongoing collaboration across the VCS, the EP has also released early findings from new research into the impact of emergencies on Britain’s marginalised groups and how they can be better supported.
The research, which involved interviews with individuals at local specialist organisations in Bradford and Leeds, revealed a ‘trickle-down’ impact of COVID-19 on marginalised members of the community who already have existing complex needs. They reported that mental health issues, in particular, are increasing among more at-risk community members, as well as volunteers and staff, with the emotional toll of the crisis taking hold. They also shared that many COVID-19 grants are set to expire in the coming months, leaving voluntary organisations unsure as to how they will be able to meet their communities’ emerging needs.
Soo Nevison, CEO of Community Action Bradford & District, who has been involved in the EP at a local level, said:
“By being part of the Emergencies Partnership, we have been able to meet the needs of our communities, which would otherwise have gone unmet – whether that’s providing face coverings for our most vulnerable families to sourcing vital volunteers for an online befriending scheme. The opportunity to share good practice and connect with colleagues across the sector over the pandemic has, in turn, benefited communities from Cumbria to Cornwall. However, there remains much to do. The sector starts to face a funding crisis, and worry is growing about how we will continue our monumental efforts to keep our vulnerable and diverse communities safe beyond lockdown.”
To recognise the massive contribution from the voluntary and community sector in its COVID-19 response, the EP is holding a virtual event today. The webinar, which will be attended by Civil Society Minister, Baroness Barran MBE, and Shadow Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government Steve Reed, will put a spotlight on the efforts and challenges of community groups since the start of the pandemic and share the EP’s recommendations to ensure marginalised communities are better supported in emergencies.
To find out more about the VCS Emergencies Partnership and their work over the COVID-19 pandemic, please visit www.vcsep.org.uk.
charitytoday.co.uk | 23 March 2021
A Second World War RAF flying veteran is giving a series of talks about his wartime experiences to members and volunteers of leading sight loss charity the Macular Society.
Harry Garthwaite, who celebrated his 100th birthday last year, clocked up almost 2,500 flying hours, flew 23 different aircraft types, including the Hurricane, the Spitfire and an abandoned German trainer, and was mentioned in dispatches. Although his flying days ended in February 1946 when he was demobbed, Harry remains an aircraft enthusiast and a keen member of his local RAF Association.
Harry is affected by dry age-related macular degeneration (AMD), a sight loss condition that affects his central vision. AMD is a form of macular disease, the biggest cause of sight loss in the U.K., and the Macular Society is the only charity solely dedicated to funding research to beat the disease.
Sadly, five years ago, and after 67 years of a happy marriage, Harry’s wife died. In addition, the necessary restrictions imposed as a result of the pandemic have resulted in Harry having less contact with people. But, a chance telephone call provided him with the opportunity to regain some social contact.
As Harry said:
“I was invited by an RAF Association friend of mine to share some of my wartime flying experiences with the members and volunteers of the Wem Macular Society telephone support group. They made me feel so welcome. I really enjoyed talking to them, and we also had a very in-depth discussion about how, during the war, people helped each other, very much as we are all trying to do now.
“After that talk, the Macular Society got in contact with me to ask if I would be interested in speaking to more of their members and volunteers at some of their other telephone support group meetings across the country. I was surprised but also absolutely delighted because it means that by helping in this way, I can reciprocate the community support spirit that I have experienced in my life.”
Harry’s talks, which began in February and will continue for several months, are being delivered to a number of the charity’s telephone support groups across the UK. If you would like to join any of these calls, please contact the Supporter Care team on 01264 350 551 or email:
Maria Storesund, head of regions for the charity, said:
“We are absolutely delighted to welcome Harry as a guest speaker to some of our support group calls. His talks are proving very popular, and the groups who have not yet heard him are in for a real treat.”
The Macular Society have more than 400 telephone support groups across the UK, providing help and information to anyone affected by macular disease. The charity suspended all face-to-face support services when the coronavirus first struck last year. Since then, it has provided a new range of telephone and online support services, which are available to anyone affected by sight loss, their family or friends.
Maria continued:
“As social restrictions continue as a result of the virus, people’s health and wellbeing remain our priority. However, it’s absolutely vital that everyone who needs our support continues to receive it. Although our face-to-face services have had to be suspended for the time being, we are still at the end of the phone and would strongly urge anyone to call us if they do need our assistance.
“The telephone groups offer help in understanding macular disease and coming to terms with sight loss, exactly the way that our face-to-face support groups do. They also help us to ensure that everyone is kept up to date with all the current news and information. But most importantly, they allow people with the macular disease to continue to take part in social activities, helping to reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation during these difficult times.”
The macular disease currently affects nearly 1.5 million people in the UK, and many more are at risk. It can have a devastating effect on people’s lives, leaving them unable to drive, read or see faces. Many people affected describe losing their sight as being similar to bereavement. There is still no cure, and most types of the disease are not treatable. Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the most common form of macular disease, affecting more than 600,000 people, usually over the age of 50.
For information on other services currently available from the Macular Society, please call the charity’s Advice and Information Service on 0300 3030 111 or email:
charitytoday.co.uk | 12 March 2021