Shipston Community First Responders

05/10/2026

Last night we were delighted to attend the EGM of Friends of Shipston Health (FOSH) where our Chair, Bob Armstrong, received a cheque for £10,000 from FOSH Treasurer, Ingrid Heritage.

Also receiving a donation last night was Ray Coyle on behalf of our friends at Shipston Community First Responders, an outstanding local charity whose volunteers work tirelessly to keep us all safe.

Our donation is part of a three-year agreement and helps us to support our health initiatives in the area, such as our Falls Prevention programme and Community Hubs. This week, the Frailty Nurse from Shipston Medical Centre will be in for her monthly drop in session.

Our thanks to Friends of Shipston Health (formerly known as the League of Friends of Shipston Hospitals) for their ongoing support, vital for us as an independent small charity. Our special thanks to outgoing Co-Chairs Caroline and Joyce, to incoming Co-Chairs Carole and John, and to Ingrid.

05/10/2026

On the subject of our wonderful Shipston Community First Responders, on Friday 16th October the fabulous Shipston Shanty Group are performing in the Methodist Church to raise funds on their behalf. What better way to spend a Friday night than enjoying the music of the group whilst raising money for such a worthwhile and important cause. Please come along and experience a fantastic night, meet friends and make new ones!

7.30pm - 8.30pm
Tickets on the door or in advance from E.H Spencer
Free entry for Shipston Music Society members
New members always welcome for information call 07779 151947

05/10/2026

September 2026 was our busiest month since Shipston Community First Responders started 20 years ago!!

Thank you for the continued support.

27/09/2026

It was wonderful to join Shipston Community First Responders and the Stour Valley Lions last week to raise awareness of a forthcoming life saving training session at the Ellen Badger Hospital, on 16 October.

The First Responders, with the generosity of the Lions, other charities and residents are able to deliver their fantastic voluntary emergency first aid work in our rural area.

They also look after the 70 defibrillators around the Shipston area, which are now also visible to West Midlands Ambulance Service.

I look forward to join the First Responders and local residents in October and refresh my CPR and life saving skills.

27/09/2026

Using a defib within the first 3-5 minutes of collapse can increase the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest by 50-70%.

Yet the most recent data from University of Warwick shows that public access defibrillators were only used in 9% of all out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in England in 2024.

It's vital we remove the fear around using defibs and help the public feel more confident using these lifesaving devices.

Sources:
bit.ly/4xzwx2R
bit.ly/42DwYwk

27/09/2026

27/09/2026

27/09/2026

Another incredibly busy week for our team of volunteers.

We have supported West Midlands Ambulance Service by increasing our on-call cover both day and night bridging the gap between the 999 emergency call and the attendance of an Ambulance resource.

A big thank you to our team of volunteers for stepping up to assist with the increased demand.

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27/09/2026

This week we provided two practical CPR & Defibrillator sessions to the staff at Shipston Lodge Nursing Home. This allowed the staff to refresh their skills and knowledge of how to deal with Cardiac Arrest emergencies.

We are very lucky to work closely with Shipston Lodge Nursing Home who host one of our Community Public Access Defibrillators (CPADs).

Well done to all the staff who took part!

19/09/2026

We would like to congratulate our Community Defibrillator Coordinator & Community Trainer Diane Johnson on receiving the WMAS Community Initiative and Partnership Award 2026.

Diane supports the management of our 70 Community Public Access Defibrillators (CPAD) and also provides CPR and Defibrillator awareness training to local community groups.

Since joining the team Diane has trained hundreds of people in hands-only CPR and how to use a Defibrillator which has already helped save a life with one member of the public putting their newly learned skills into action when it mattered the most.

Well done Diane!!!! 👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏