An example of 'The Little Society' in action

I mentioned the Needham Market Community First Responders in yesterday morning's posting, without providing much of a clue as to what they actually do. Perhaps I should correct such an oversight...

In rural areas such as Mid Suffolk, it may well take some time for an ambulance to reach you if you have a heart attack. Given that best practice is to administer treatment within eight minutes, that tends to reduce survival rates for victims in the villages. And so, the concept of Community First Responders was developed.

Volunteers, trained in the use of defibrillators, are linked to the Ambulance Service's control room and, if they are within range, are dispatched to the scene of the emergency, often arriving within three or four minutes of the call, and in advance of the ambulance. Once it has arrived, the volunteer remains to assist the ambulance crew and then reports back to the control room.

And, as it is a volunteer service, it requires donations to keep going. Accordingly, once I find out which branch covers Creeting St Peter, I intend to ask the Parish Council to make a small donation to its work. After all, there aren't many of us in Creeting St Peter, and losing anyone unnecessarily would be a loss.