A RURAL lifeline has received a donation from a Ludlow group to keep them on the roads.

The League of Friends of Ludlow Hospital has made a substantial donation to Ludlow‘s Community First Responders to help them buy a replacement emergency vehicle.

The Ludlow team was established in 2000, when volunteer schemes to support the ambulance service were first developed in Shropshire. The team is staffed entirely by volunteers and relies on the generosity of the public to operate.

The first responders, who have been trained in advanced first aid by West Midlands Ambulance Service, aim to be at local emergencies within 10 minutes of receiving a call and will attend the wider area when needed.

They make themselves available to ambulance control and will attend 999 emergencies in the local community, providing care and treatment until the arrival of a full-time ambulance.

“Our local volunteer paramedic team of first responders has become an invaluable part of our community’s emergency services,” said League of Friends co-chairman Michael Evans. 

“The ever-increasing demand on ambulance services in rural areas has meant that a locally-based team is needed to attend emergencies in a very short time."