Godiva Voluntary Medical Responders at a Glance
Charity Number 1180965
Godiva Voluntary Medical Responders are a team of volunteers who have received training in First Aid, by West Midlands Ambulance Service. The volunteers attend emergency calls on behalf of West Midlands Ambulance Service including Cardiac arrest, Strokes, Breathing difficulties, Trauma and many other types of emergencies.
Godiva Voluntary Medical Responders volunteers are self-funded; therefore, the only source of income are through donations and fundraising activities, every penny raised goes directly to the running of the volunteer group. This includes funding for life saving equipment and running of a scheme vehicle.
What We Do
We are group of people that have a regular day job or retired emergency service personnel who aim to offer support to the Ambulance service for the local community in our own time. We book on and make ourselves available for emergency calls received by the West Midlands Ambulance Service , as we our based in the local area we may be closer to a casualty than an ambulance and can arrive within minutes of receiving an emergency call. This can at times be the difference in life or death situations for a casualty.
Defibrillator
Average cost £800 to £2,500
GVMR
Godiva Voluntary Medical Responders, we are dedicated to stepping up our efforts in attending 999 emergencies. This is by no means an easy feat, but through your donations and support we believe we can facilitate this service in this area. We are always striving to make a difference, and invite you to learn more and lend your support.
We don’t do it for the Money
We don’t do it to get Paid
We don’t do it for the Glory
But for the life that may be saved
Contact Godiva Voluntary Medical Responders
Chain of Survival
If you see someone collapsed and not breathing normally, you need to act fast so they can have the best chance of survival
Early Recognition and Call / Early CPR / Early Defibrillation / Early advanced Care
Stroke
Stroke Information
There are 2 main types of stroke: ischaemic strokes and haemorrhagic strokes. They affect the brain in different ways and can have different causes.
Ischaemic strokes
Ischaemic strokes are the most common type of stroke. They happen when a blood clot blocks the flow of blood and oxygen to the brain.
These blood clots typically form in areas where the arteries have been narrowed or blocked over time by fatty deposits known as plaques. This process is known as atherosclerosis.
Your artieries may naturally become narrower as you age, but there are some things that dangerously speed up this process.
These include:
smoking high blood pressure (hypertension) obesity high cholesterol levels diabetes
excessive alcohol intake
Another possible cause of ischaemic stroke is a type of irregular heartbeat called atrial fibrillation.
This can cause blood clots in the heart that break apart and end up in the blood vessels that supply the brain.
Haemorrhagic strokes
Haemorrhagic strokes (also known as cerebral haemorrhages or intracranial haemorrhages) are less common than ischaemic strokes.
They happen when a blood vessel inside the skull bursts and bleeds into and around the brain.
The main cause of haemorrhagic stroke is high blood pressure, which can weaken the arteries in the brain and make them more likely to split or rupture.
Things that increase the risk of high blood pressure include:
being overweight drinking excessive amounts of alcohol smoking a lack of exercise stress
Haemorrhagic strokes can also be caused by the rupture of a balloon-like expansion of a blood vessel (brain aneurysm) or abnormally formed blood vessels in the brain.
Reducing the risk of a stroke
It's not possible to completely prevent strokes because some things that increase your risk of the condition cannot be changed.
These include:
age – you're more likely to have a stroke if you're over 55, although about 1 in 4 strokes happen to younger people
family history – if a close relative (parent, grandparent, brother or sister) has had a stroke, your risk is likely to be higher
ethnicity – if you're south Asian, African or Caribbean, your risk of stroke is higher, partly because rates of diabetes and high blood pressure are higher in these groups
your medical history – if you have previously had a stroke, transient ischaemic attack (TIA) or heart attack, your risk of stroke is higher
But it's possible to significantly reduce your risk of having a stroke by making lifestyle changes to avoid problems such as atherosclerosis and high blood pressure.
You should also seek medical advice if you think you may have an irregular heartbeat.
Stroke
Could it be a Stroke
