New emergency response car will double life saving capacity

The vehicle will support the work of North East Worcestershire First Responders (NEWFR), a volunteer led charity whose trained responders attend 999 calls on behalf of West Midlands Ambulance Service.

The team provides immediate care at life threatening incidents such as cardiac arrests, strokes and road traffic collisions, often arriving before an ambulance and delivering vital early intervention.

The Public Health Community Grant along National Lottery Funding has enabled NEWFR to purchase a second response vehicle, doubling operational capacity across the area. The funding also supports wider community health initiatives, including CPR and first aid training, bleed control awareness, and the expansion of community defibrillators. Sessions in schools, youth groups, workplaces and community organisations will equip hundreds of residents with skills proven to save lives.

Councillor Satinder Bell, Cabinet Member for Health and Wellbeing, said: “This project is a clear example of how public health investment can save lives long before someone reaches a hospital. By supporting North East Worcestershire First Responders, we are strengthening emergency response times, but we are also building vital community skills through CPR and first aid training. Prevention, early intervention and community confidence are at the heart of good public health, and this funding helps ensure more residents know what to do in a crisis. The volunteers’ commitment is extraordinary, and this new vehicle will help them reach more people, more quickly, across our communities.”

The charity, which originally just served Redditch, has expanded significantly in recent years and now covers Bromsgrove, Droitwich, Alvechurch, Wythall and surrounding villages, with 14 volunteers each providing a minimum of 240 hours of service per year.

Ross Harris, North East Worcestershire First Responders, said: “This funding has made a huge difference to what we can deliver. A second vehicle means we can respond to more emergencies across a much wider area, and it gives our volunteers the tools they need to save lives. The support for training equipment and community education also means we can teach more people CPR, first aid and bleed control skills. We’re incredibly grateful for the Council’s support and proud to continue serving our communities.”

Tim Cronin, West Midlands Ambulance Service, said: “Community First Responders play a vital role in their communities, volunteering their time to respond to life-threatening emergencies alongside the West Midlands Ambulance Service. This new vehicle will make a real, life-saving difference, and we are incredibly grateful for the grant funding and support that made it possible. It ensures our responders are better equipped to support and reach more patients when every second counts."

To find out more about the North East Worcestershire First Responders, please visit their website.

To find out more about the Public Health Community Grant programme please visit the dedicated pages of our website.