West Suffolk MP meets Haverhill volunteer responders

Mr Timothy met a group of volunteers at Haverhill ambulance station last week, during Volunteers' Week. He recognised the vital role they play in supporting the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust (EEAST) across west Suffolk.

During his visit, Mr Timothy met members of the Haverhill CFR group – team leader Stephen Bryant, Keith Jesson and Stan Pridmore – as well as military co-responders from RAF Honington, who volunteer their time to respond to 999 calls on top of their military duties.

The military co-responders have a dedicated response car and are regularly travelling to Haverhill ambulance station to respond to nearby calls from there.

CFRs are trained volunteers who attend medical emergencies in the local area, often arriving first on scene before the ambulance crew to begin providing care.

The volunteers explained more about their work, including the importance of public awareness, the use of social media to promote basic life support (BLS) training, and the ongoing need for community engagement.

Nick Timothy MP said: "I was very glad to meet and thank the volunteers who generously give up their time to help others in and around Haverhill. These are community champions who do something extraordinary — and who make a huge difference — with their spare time.

"Haverhill has a strong community spirit, and these volunteers are a brilliant example of that. Whether it is volunteering as a community engagement group member, a community first responder, volunteer car driver or a welfare wagon volunteer, there is something for everyone who wants to volunteer with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust.

"It is also great to see such effective collaboration between our community’s public services and military personnel from one of our local RAF bases."

Stephen Bryant, team leader of the Haverhill CFR group, said: "It was a pleasure to welcome Mr Timothy and share the work we do in the community. His interest and support mean a great deal to our team, and we thank him for helping to raise awareness of the importance of volunteering in the ambulance service."

Photo caption: Nick Timothy MP (third from left) with EEAST Head of Community Response Lorna Hayes (second from left), Haverhill CFR group team leader Stephen Bryant (far right) and volunteer responders and military co-responders from RAF Honington.