Blooming Good Result From Steyning Flower Festival

The wonderful flower festival held over the May bank holiday at the Church of Christ the King in Steyning was a resounding success attracting a vast number of visitors.

SAFeR Steyning, our local lifesaving scheme, is one of the beneficiaries of money raised from the event (alongside Sussex Air Ambulance). A cheque for £500 was handed over by festival organiser John Newman to SAFeR chair Martin Leigh-Pollitt at a special ceremony last week.

Martin said: “I’m delighted that the flower festival was so popular and this huge boost to our funds is both surprising and incredibly welcome. We will use it to support training and equipment for local volunteers who provide such an indispensable emergency support service. We still need more responders so if anyone is able to give up just a small amount of time each week, I’d be really pleased to hear from them”. *

SAFeR Steyning responders are local volunteers who provide an essential immediate service to support the South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb). Ambulances are not always in close proximity to answer emergency calls in rural areas like Steyning, Bramber and Upper Beeding, and because responders are already living or working in the community, they can get to the location vital minutes earlier. It is in this timeslot that lives can sometimes be saved – and patients’ chances of recovery significantly increased.

Responders are fully trained by SECAmb in the use of defibrillators. SAFeR receives no government funding, relying on donations, sponsorship and grant funding to purchase equipment and kit, and everyone involved in the running of the scheme gives their time voluntarily.

SAFeR responders’ team leader Christine Peters was also on hand at the ceremony to explain how responders operate and demonstrate emergency equipment regularly used.

Contact Martin on 01903 812007 or email martin@safersteyning.org.uk

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