This April as part of our Spotlight on Anti Racism feature, AACE are highlighting the fantastic progress made by the North East Ambulance Service (NEAS), whose community outreach programme has now reached over 10,000 people since launch.
In October 2020 NEAS was awarded monies following a successful bid to the NHS Charities Together fund to fund a Positive Action Project.
The aims of the project were to:
- Promote the services and support available from the ambulance service for people from ethnic minority and faith communities.
- Promote employment and volunteering opportunities for ethnic minority communities.
- Recruit, train and support community ambassadors from within ethnic minority communities to help the ambulance service to communicate key messages and information.
- Promote emergency first aid and defibrillator awareness and support groups to apply for grants towards community public access defibrillators.
- Promote information on the NEAS website about accessibility features.
In 2023 the project expanded with continuing funding from NHS Charities Together, to also work with disabled people and people with long term conditions.
To date the project has reached over 10,000 people, raising awareness of services, demonstrating cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and building relationships with communities.
NEAS has also recruited over 100 community ambassador volunteers who have been a key asset in reaching more people and supporting events.
To find out more read the latest annual Positive Action Project report here.
We’ll continue to post our Spotlight updates each month in our website’s News section and via X / Twitter at @AACE_Org.
You can find more information about our anti-racism promises, along with messages from all of our Ambulance Trust CEOs on our Stamping Out Racism page.
