Children’s and Carer’s Campaign
The Ambulance car is vital to ALL of our community – from the very youngest to the oldest among us!
Not only have the children expressed their love of the ambulance car by taking part in our colouring competition and our children’s trail but they have also spoken up to the media! Some of our children have immense ongoing need for the car, like 4 year old Everly Attride in the video below, and some have stories of past occasions when the car was vital to safeguarding their health. Carers and care home leaders have also spoken up to emphasise how often they need to call on the services of the ambulance car! We ALL need the ambulance car, young and old!
Colouring competition
Children’s Trail and Stories
During the school holidays we have an Ambulance Car children’s trail – where the children use our map to visit all of the locations to discover which undersea creature is riding on the ambulance car! They then return their map for a reward! This both keeps the issue in the public eye but is also a big THANK YOU to all the children who have been involved in the campaign so far – including those who have shared their stories! Click here to read our collection of Children’s Stories in the “We Need Our Paramedic Car!” booklet. You can find them from page 40 onwards.
The Carer’s Campaign
Domiciliary Carers: Tamara, Zoe and Janine’s story
“My colleagues and I have had the pleasure of working in the Swanage community and surrounding area for the best part of 10 years as domiciliary carers. On more occasions than we can remember, we have had to call out paramedics for our vulnerable clients, who we assist to live independently in their own homes.
The Paramedic car is usually, if not always, the first on the scene, to offer medical care, assisting us with moving and handling of our clients if they have fallen, and supporting us and family members in dire situations.
To lose such a vital service would not only be detrimental to the residents of Swanage, there would also be a serious impact on the health and safety of the large number of vulnerable adults here who receive domiciliary care. Domiciliary Care services rely on the paramedic car, we see it as an extension of our services. Without this vital service, we would have to wait longer for ambulances that often have to get here from Poole, Bournemouth or Dorchester. As carers, if there is no family member present, we we are not permitted to leave the person
we are caring for until the care has been officially handed over. Whilst we are waiting, there always is someone else that needs us. The removal of this car from Swanage will mean longer waiting times for Domiciliary Carers, and this will increase the risk of anxiety, depression, and sometimes death, for the clients we cannot get to.
Please Save our Paramedic Car. It is crucial in supporting our care homes and attends each Swanage home 20 – 50 times each year.”
“As a care facility of many clinically vulnerable individuals I am unable to stress the risk enough if this is withdrawn from Swanage“
— Swanage Care home Manager
