Keele Community First Responders

Keele Community First Responders is a registered charity run by volunteers, including students and local residents, who are trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service. Since forming in 2008, the team has responded to more than 5,000 emergency 999 calls across Keele University, Keele, Silverdale, Newcastle-under-Lyme, Madeley and surrounding areas. Because responders are based in the community, they may reach patients before an ambulance arrives and begin treatment sooner. They attend a range of emergencies, including breathing difficulties, chest pain, stroke, trauma, cardiac arrest and seizures.

Alongside emergency response, the charity delivers Basic Life Support awareness courses. These teach practical skills such as helping an unconscious person, performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and using an automated external defibrillator (AED). The team also maintains and supports several public access AEDs locally, registering them on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network.

Keele Community First Responders is funded by donations and grants, with no financial support from the Government or NHS. All responders volunteer their time, and the charity welcomes donations to support its work.