Volunteer responders in Leighton Buzzard secure grant for life-saving equipment and training
Date: 16 October 2026A volunteer group in Leighton Buzzard who respond to 999 calls on behalf of the ambulance service have received a funding boost to continue providing vital emergency care.
The Leighton Buzzard Community First Responder (CFR) group has received a grant of just over £4,500 from the Whitbread Plc Chairman's Fund, which is managed by Bedfordshire and Luton Community Foundation (BLCF).
The funding will enable the CFR team to replace three defibrillators that have reached the end of their operational life which are carried by the volunteers when they respond to medical emergencies. It will also go towards the purchase of training aids for CPR, defibrillator awareness and anti-choking training in the community.
Community First Responders are trained volunteers who are dispatched by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) to certain 999 calls in their local area. Often arriving first on scene, they provide life-saving care while waiting for ambulance crews to arrive.
The Leighton Buzzard CFR group supports communities across Leighton Buzzard, Dunstable, Houghton Regis, Eaton Bray and surrounding villages, working alongside EEAST to provide rapid assistance during medical emergencies.
Paul Willmott, Team Leader of the Leighton Buzzard CFR group, said: "We are incredibly grateful to the Whitbread Plc Chairman's Fund and BLCF for this generous support. Defibrillators are a vital part of the emergency equipment we carry when we respond to 999 calls, and replacing them means we can continue to provide the highest standard of care.
"The funding for training equipment is equally important, as it will allow us to equip even more people across our communities with essential life-saving skills such as CPR, using a defibrillator and responding to a choking emergency."
CFRs are supported by the East of England Ambulance Service Charity, and rely on public support and donations to fund additional lifesaving equipment, specialist communication tools, enhanced CFR training and public CPR and defibrillator awareness training. If you would like to support the East of England Ambulance Service Charity, donate today.
Members of the public, businesses and community organisations interested in arranging CPR, defibrillator or anti-choking awareness sessions can register their interest via our free community-based education programme, EEAST Heart.
