North East Ambulance Charity receives boost to help save more lives

The North East Ambulance Charity is one of 14 NHS charities across the UK to receive funding from NHS Charities Together through its £1.94 million Community Resilience Grants Fund in partnership with Omaze.

This initiative will be used to support work in the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS) to help more people gain the knowledge, skills, and confidence to respond effectively in a medical emergency.

NEAS is currently rated top in England for cardiac arrest survival rates 30 days post-arrest and ranks first nationally for return of spontaneous circulation (ROSC) rates, demonstrating its commitment to delivering outstanding clinical outcomes and high-quality care.

Currently, fewer than one in ten (10%) people who suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital survive to return home. However, when early recognition, CPR, and defibrillation are delivered quickly, survival rates can increase to over 50%.

Despite these top national rankings, NEAS has the smallest number of community first responders (CFRs) of any ambulance service in England. The North East’s diverse mix of rural, urban, coastal and border communities means that CFRs play a vital role in reaching patients in areas where ambulance responses may take longer.

The funding will enable NEAS to double the number of trained CFRs, expand volunteering infrastructure, deliver enhanced training, and equip new recruits with the tools they need to respond confidently and effectively within their communities.

In 2024/25, NEAS’s 138 active CFRs collectively volunteered over 41,000 hours and responded to more than 1,800 patients in urgent need.

Aaron Bahanda, head of resourcing and business planning, and overseer of the volunteering team at NEAS, said: “We are extremely grateful for the support of NHS Charities Together. This investment allows us to strengthen our community response model and significantly increase the number of trained volunteers available to support patients in those first vital minutes before an ambulance arrives.

“By enhancing our community first responder network, we can ensure faster access to lifesaving care, improve outcomes for patients, and reduce demand on frontline resources. This funding is an important step forward in improving cardiac arrest survival rates across the North East.”

Jon Goodwin, head of grants at NHS Charities Together, commented: “We are delighted to award this grant to the North East Ambulance Charity as part of our Community Resilience Grants Fund. The project has the potential to make a huge difference to people living in the North East by helping them recognise the early signs of a life-threatening emergency and how to respond.

“In addition to helping improve chances of survival, by educating people to know how to respond in a health emergency – or even prevent it from happening in the first place – we can help reduce pressure on the NHS, which has never been more important. We look forward to continuing our work with NEAS and other organisations across the UK to help the NHS go further for everyone.”

Paul ‘Paddy’ Brolly, community resuscitation officer at NEAS, added: “Community first responders play a vital role in our emergency response system. They are often first on scene and provide essential care and reassurance to patients before our clinicians arrive.

“Their contribution is deeply valued; not only by our service, but by the communities they serve. This funding will enable us to expand our network of volunteers and ensure that more people in the North East have access to immediate help when it matters most.”