We are looking to raise money to help purchase life-saving equipment for the newly formed Charnwood Community First Responder Scheme.

Members of Charnwood CFR will respond to calls from the ambulance service where there is a likelihood of them reaching the patient before an ambulance to begin treatment. Typical incidents we are called to can include:

- Cardiac Arrest
- Heart Attack
- Stroke
- Difficulty Breathing
- Seizures
- Unconscious Patients

Did you know, the average survival rate for a cardiac arrest, outside of a hospital, is only 10%. Chances of surviving this can be increased by early intervention in the form of recognition, CPR and defibrilation before an ambulance arrives.

We're all aware of the pressures being faced by hospitals and the ambulance service in terms of funding and the shear number of patients they are having to deal with. Whilst responders will never be sent instead of an ambulance, in times of limited resource we can arrive first and begin caring for the patient.

Equipment we are looking to obtain includes four defibrillators and first aid kits to allow our trained responders to deliver treatment quickly and effectively.

All our members are volunteers and receive no pay for the time they are on call or are with patients. East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS) do support us with supplies of consumables such as oxygen, airways, bandages etc. However, it is down to each CFR group to raise funds to buy, maintain and upgrade equipment as necessary.

Please help Charnwood Community First Responders by donating what you can so we can reach our financial goal.

If you own, or are part of an organisation, who can help us with a larger donation we would love to speak to you directly. You can contact us via our website www.charnwoodcfr.co.uk or via our Facebook and Twitter pages.