A DONATION could be a life-saver for Aldermaston Community Responders.

The Community Committee at the nearby AWE nuclear weapons plant donated £500 to the organisation.

Richard Pioro, who is one of the responders, said: "We are very grateful for the donation. This will help pay for equipment vital for saving lives in the Aldermaston area."

Alan Price, external communications and marketing manager at AWE said the donation was part of the organisation’s support for its surrounding community.

Community responders are volunteers who respond to emergency situations on behalf of the ambulance service – and offer immediate first aid and life support.

Mr Pioro, who works by day as an account manager, added: “There is a vital need for community responders in order to both save lives and to provide support and reassurance to patients in the event of an emergency.”

Both Mr Pioro and his wife Inga, are volunteers and cover the areas of Aldermaston Wharf, Aldermaston, Tadley and Theale. They are on-call on average for about ten hours a week.

Community responders tend to work within a small radius, usually a village or a small town and are therefore at the scene of an emergency within five to eight minutes. These first eight minutes are vital for patients suffering from cardiac arrest and other life-threatening incidents.

Responders receive full training from the South Central Ambulance Service in the use of an automatic external defibrillator for heart attack victims and other basic life support techniques.

Mr Pioro said: “As a charity we rely heavily on donations from a wide variety of sources to enable us to operate, which is why we are so grateful for donations.”