Members of Warwickshire Hearts charity win awards for their hard work

Last week West Midlands Ambulance Service (WMAS) held their annual Long Service and Excellence Awards and eight members from the Warwickshire Hearts team were presented awards.

Warwickshire Hearts was launched as a charity last year after existing as a joint project between Warwick District Community First Responders, Evelyn’s Gift and Waterside Medical Centre for three years. In addition to responding to emergency 999 calls locally, and working to improve local cardiac survival rates it has provided free CPR and defibrillator training across the district at schools, work places and community groups.

Pc Neil Ward, who is also an active Community First Responder(CFR) member of Warwickshire Hearts, received a Chief Officer’s Commendation for his handling of three major incidents where he was first on scene in 2017.

On a number of occasions Neil had to switch at a moment’s notice from his police officer role to that of a CFR and Police Medic.

At the three incidents Neil’s timely arrival at the scene and his CFR skills made a difference to patients and to the standing of CFRs locally and within Warwickshire Police.

These events both individually and collectively made Neil deserving of special recognition by WMAS.

Seven other CFR’s from Warwickshire Hearts received Outstanding Achievement Awards for delivery of Restart A Heart Day in 2017 when over 1,000 people were trained in CPR and AED skills in one day, including all the pupils at Campion School.

The individuals who received awards were Helen Gregory, Kelly Higgerson, Guy King, Tim Morris, Paul Rowlands, Nick Shacklock and Sally Shacklock.

Warwickshire Hearts has trained over 5,100 local people in CPR and how to use a defibrillator.

The charity relies on volunteers to deliver the CPR/AED training and to support West Midlands Ambulance Service with volunteer 999 response work.

CPR/AED training by Warwickshire Hearts is free but any donations made go towards the work of the group.

The charity receives no public funding and relies on fundraising and donations to support their work.

They are currently fundraising to replace their 999 response vehicle in 2018, at a cost of approximately £15,000. The vehicle is used by around 20 operational volunteers equipped with defibrillators and advanced first aid equipment who are despatched to calls (in South Warwickshire, including the towns of Warwick, Kenilworth, Leamington and Stratford) by the Ambulance Service Emergency Operations Centre.

Anyone who is able to help with fundraising or is able to donate can do so at;

https://mydonate.bt.com/charities/warwickshirehearts