Marlow Round Table provides welcome boost to local first aiders

2011 ended on a high note for St John Ambulance in Marlow when the local branch of the nation’s leading first aid charity received the largest ever single annual donation made by the Marlow Round Table.

Generous gift to fund support vehicle

Jeremy Bedford and Dominic Barnes, Chairman and Vice Chairman respectively of The Marlow Round Table handed over a cheque for £7,000 to Vincent Smith, Deputy Commander of St John Ambulance in Buckinghamshire and learnt some life saving first aid skills at the same time when they visited the charity’s Marlow headquarters in Station Approach in December.

Both organisations are well known for the work they undertake in supporting the local community and this generous donation was funded by collections and other activities undertaken by The Round Table in the Marlow area during 2010 and 2011, as well as some local central funds. The figure will be matched by St John Ambulance and will fund a replacement four wheel drive multi-purpose vehicle which will be used at local events.  Such vehicles are vital to the charity’s work as they are able to reach casualties who are inaccessible due to snow and off road terrain. It is hoped that the 4x4 will be commissioned early in this New Year since a particularly busy year is anticipated with involvement covering events in connection with The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee as well as those for the Olympics and the Paralympics plus those events regularly covered including the Marlow Half Marathon, the regatta and firework display.

Gratitude for donation to support life saving charity

‘This generous donation is especially appreciated as it is from the local Round Table to help us continue to support local communities which we have been proud to do for so many years,’ said Vincent Smith when receiving the cheque. ‘Our Marlow branch has suffered some set backs recently due to vandalism, fire and theft and this has really boosted their spirits. The work they undertake locally, providing and teaching first aid is at times the difference between lives lost and lives saved so it is vital that they have local support for them to continue.’

St John Ambulance estimates that each year up to 150,000 people die in situations where first aid may have saved them and research carried out by the charity in 2010 revealed that a third of UK residents wouldn’t feel confident trying to save someone’s life.

Dominic Barnes of Marlow Round Table said: ‘We are delighted to support St John Ambulance with our largest donation in over 20 years. Marlow Round Table exists to support local charities and organisations who put something back into our community.’