In 2025, Poynton Round Table proudly donated £16,000 to support our local Community First Responders (CFRs) in purchasing a new emergency response vehicle.
That vehicle is now out on the road — helping save lives.
To understand what that really means, we spoke to Andy Barnes, Team Leader & Enhanced First Responder with Poynton CFRs (North West Ambulance Service), to hear first-hand about the impact.
Who Are the Local Community First Responders?
“We currently have a team of three responders, soon to be four. Our day jobs vary — insurance, retail, IT consultancy, and a retired midwife with a nursing background. We all volunteer to give back to our community and improve patient outcomes, often being first on scene to life-threatening incidents.”
What motivated you to become a responder?
“One of our team helped save a gentleman using a defibrillator — it was life-changing. That experience drove us to help others. We’ve all lived locally for years, so giving back to our own community really matters.”
What’s a typical call-out like?
“No job is ever the same — cardiac arrests, strokes, sepsis, accidents at home or work. We attend the most serious cases — Category 1 and 2 emergencies.”
How busy are you?
“On a typical shift, we’ll attend two to three incidents. We’re a busy unit, especially with an ageing local population and nursing homes.”
How quickly can you respond?
“We can often be with a patient within minutes of the alert going off.”
And how critical are those minutes?
“Every minute saved increases the chance of survival — especially in cardiac arrest situations. Early intervention is everything.”
Why was a new car needed?
“Our previous vehicle was 15 years old and starting to fail. It had done an incredible job, but it was time.”
What does the new vehicle bring?
“We now have a 2019 KIA Sportage, fully equipped with lifesaving kit — defibrillator, oxygen, monitoring equipment — everything we need to deliver immediate care.”
How will this improve your service?
“The car is always ready to go, fully equipped, and allows us to respond immediately within our local area — often before ambulances can arrive.”
How many people will benefit?
“Up to 400 patients a year will benefit from our voluntary responder service.”
💬 What This Donation Means
“The new vehicle is fantastic. The car is always good to go, fully equipped and will ensure, where possible, better patient outcomes for our community.”
What message do you have for the public?
“The vehicle is entirely funded by donations. Running costs are significant, so we rely heavily on support from local groups and the public.”
Beyond emergency response, the team is also actively building community resilience:
- Delivering Heart Start training
- Teaching locals how to use defibrillators
- Recently training 80 people in just six months
Find out more about the North West Ambulance service
🚀 More Than Just a Donation
This is exactly what Round Table is about.
Not just raising money — but creating real, measurable impact in our communities.
From a fundraising event…
to a vehicle on the road…
to lives being saved.
A huge thank you to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts — this is your impact!
All of the funds we raise through the hard work of our volunteers and generosity of the local community are donated to a wide variety of causes including; Charities, Youth Groups, School PTA’s, Social Enterprises and Organisations.
“We’re incredibly proud to support Andy and the First Responder team. Thanks to an excellent year of fundraising — particularly the £40,000 raised at this year’s bonfire — we were able to help fund this vital vehicle. Seeing it now out in the community, saving lives, is exactly what Round Table is all about.” Stephen Cotter, Chairman,
