Friends of Stowmarket Community First Responders

25/08/2026

We would also like to share our condolences to Jess and her family at this time, this is such a sad story and it is always sad to lose a member of the green family.

We have no doubt that our responders would have had privilage to be backed up by Jess at some point.

Following the heartbreaking news of the passing of Jess McKee, an Emergency Medical Technician with the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust, on Saturday, we will be pausing our usual humour and banter posts for today as a mark of respect.

Today, our thoughts are firmly with Jess’s family, her friends and all of her colleagues across the East of England Ambulance Service.

The loss of a colleague is always incredibly difficult, particularly when that colleague was so young and had so much of her career ahead of her.

To everyone who has been impacted by Jess’s passing, please look after one another.

Talk to your colleagues. Talk to your friends. Reach out to your in-house support services and, if you need it, contact TASC The Ambulance Staff Charity.

There is absolutely no shame in asking for support. We spend so much of our working lives looking after others, but sometimes we need someone to look after us too.

It is okay not to be okay.
It is okay to reach out. 💚

The ambulance family is a strong one, but even the strongest sometimes needs a helping hand.

The Thin Green Line just got a little thinner. 💚

Rest peacefully, Jess. You will not be forgotten.

UK Ambulance Humour 💚

19/07/2026

We are back for day 2 of Stowmarket carnival and we have partnered with Littlebrushmagic.Suffolk today who are providing face painting services in return for donations today.

Come along say hi and little ones can get their faces painted as well.

18/07/2026

We're all set up at the Kings Meadow Recreation Ground for Stowmarket carnival. The lovely Dan B, Dan L, Rich and Mouse have been working hard to get all ready to meet you all.

We will be providing CPR demonstrations throughout the day as well letting you know about the wonderful world of being a CFR.

Look forward to seeing you all across the next 2 days.

05/07/2026

We have been out and about today at the Stowmarket Food and Drink Festival, First Responders Dan B and Rich have been talking to people and teaching CPR at Red Gables today.

Thanks to everyone who got involved and thanks to Red Gables for inviting us along.

02/06/2026

As we progress into Volunteers Week, now seems like a good time to reflect on the hard work of our CFR's and post our monthly figures for May:

May was another busy month for our volunteer Community First Responders, and we're proud to share what the team achieved while supporting the local community.

📟 34 calls alerted
✅ 30 calls attended
🚨 20 times first on scene
⏰ 125 volunteer hours given

Alongside this, our responders attended 8 Category 1 incidents, with Category 2 calls being the most common reason for activation. We also assisted ambulance crews on 12 occasions after their arrival, helping to provide ongoing patient care and support.

These figures represent much more than numbers—they reflect the dedication of local volunteers who give up their free time to respond when their community needs them most.

As we head into the summer months, our team remains ready to respond, providing early care and reassurance until ambulance crews arrive.

💚 Thank you to everyone who supports Stowmarket CFRs, whether through fundraising, encouragement, or simply helping spread awareness of what we do.

01/06/2026

🚨 We’re excited to launch the brand new Stowmarket CFRs Web App! 🚨

🌐 https://stowmarketcfrs.netlify.app/

Our new platform gives the community a better way to stay connected with Stowmarket CFRs, access updates, and see more of the work happening behind the scenes to support our area.

Alongside the new public webapp, we’ve also introduced a new internal Responder Hub designed to improve how we operate as a responder group. This allows us to better monitor kit activity and usage, manage responder availability, and strengthen overall coordination across the team.

As part of these improvements, we’re now able to share more timely and relevant information with our community, such as how many of our amazing volunteers are logged on and ready to help and how many hours we have completed. This will continue improving how we support Stowmarket and the surrounding areas.

This is an exciting step forward for the group, and we’re looking forward to continuing to build on it in the months ahead.

💙 Thank you to everyone who continues to support Stowmarket CFRs.

21/05/2026

🚨 Something Exciting is Coming to Stowmarket! 🚨

Our Community First Responders have been working on something special behind the scenes… and we can’t wait to share it with you!

On 1st June, we’ll reveal news that will make a real difference to how we connect with our community and support lifesaving work.

Keep your eyes on this page, the countdown is on!

21/05/2026

💚 Stowmarket Community First Responders stand proudly with our LGBTQIA+ community today and every day. 💚

Thank you to UK Ambulance Humour for putting this message into words so powerfully.
In the moments when people need us most, compassion, dignity and respect are non‑negotiable. Nobody should ever feel judged or unsafe when reaching out for help — not in healthcare, not in emergency services, not anywhere.

As volunteers serving our local community, we are committed to:
🌈 Treating every patient with kindness and without prejudice
🌈 Supporting an inclusive, respectful environment for all responders
🌈 Standing against homophobia, biphobia, transphobia and intersex discrimination in all forms

Good care is inclusive care.
Good teams are diverse teams.
And a strong community is one where everyone feels seen, valued and safe.

17/05/2026

💚 Be a Hero for Your Community 💚

Our local Community First Responders volunteer their time to provide lifesaving care before an ambulance arrives. Still, we rely on community support to keep our kits stocked and our responders ready.

We’re inviting local businesses to partner with us and help strengthen our group.
Support can come in many forms, from practical assistance to ongoing sponsorship, and every contribution helps us respond faster and reach more people in need.

If your business would like to get involved or explore partnership opportunities, please message us directly.

Together, we can keep our community safe and strong.

09/05/2026

📊 Stowmarket CFR’s March & April Response Figures 🚑💚

Due to personal circumstances, we were unable to post March's figures in a timely manner, and as such, we have made the decision to combine both March and April’s figures into one update.

While the graphics show the headline numbers, they don’t fully reflect the dedication behind them. Across the two months, our volunteers gave an incredible 276 hours of their own time to support the community, averaging 138 volunteer hours every month. That’s hundreds of hours spent ready to respond, attending incidents, supporting ambulance crews, and being there for patients in some of their most difficult moments.

Being first on scene 39 times meant patients received early reassurance, assessment, and immediate care before ambulance resources arrived. We also assisted arriving crews on 26 occasions, helping improve patient care and supporting the wider ambulance service during busy periods.

Of the 49 incidents attended, 15 were Category 1 emergencies, the most serious and life-threatening calls. Despite the pressures across both months, there were no requests for urgent ambulance back-up, reflecting the professionalism, teamwork, and preparedness of our responders.

The figures may just look like numbers, but behind every one is a patient, a family, a volunteer giving up their free time, and a community working together. 💚

Thank you to everyone who continues to support Stowmarket CFR’s, it genuinely makes a difference.

🚑