University donation for lifesaving kit

A donation by the University of Derby has helped pay for lifesaving kit, which will be used by a trained team of volunteers.

The university has given the cash to Darley First Responders to cover the cost of equipping one of its team with the necessary kit to support the chain of survival and reduce the overall time taken to provide medical treatment.

The first responders support East Midlands Ambulance Service, providing emergency lifesaving care in Darley Abbey and the wider Derby area. Since it was founded towards the end of 2021, the team has responded to over 140 calls.

The university has provided the funding as part of its Civic University Agreement.

Peter Ralph, scheme co-ordinator for Darley First Responders, said: “We were overwhelmed when the university agreed to provide this much-needed funding, which will allow us to fully equip a new responder with everything they need to be an additional valuable resource, directly increasing the survival rate and response times to emergencies in their local community.”

Professor Keith McLay, provost – learning and teaching at the University of Derby, said: “One of the goals of our Civic University Agreement is to support the health and wellbeing of communities within the city and county, so when we received the request from Peter to provide funding for this lifesaving equipment it was an easy decision to make.”