ParaSoc has a long standing tradition......our annual  24 hour CPR marathon has raised thousands of pounds for various charities over the years! This year we are choosing to raise money in aid of the SOS Buses run by Open road that operate in Chelmsford and Colchester. 

Members of ParaSoc will be doing CPR for 24-hours! We're looking for sponsorship to support this amazing service! All money raised will be solely used to aid the SOS Buses! 

When and where?

The event will take place from 7:30am on Monday 17th October until 7:30am on Tuesday 18th October! 

We Will be in the foyer of the Lord Ashcroft Building on Chelmsford Campus! Come and give us a hand and practice your CPR! Learn how to save a life!

So what are the services all about?

The SOS Buses are manned by a team of volunteers and an Advanced Paramedic or Doctor. The team's goal is to reduce pressure on the NHS by avoiding the need to call Ambulances or A&E Admission. 

Operating from 9pm to 4am every Friday and Saturday Night , the teams attend a wide range of incidents  from intoxicated individuals to stabbings, mental health, assaults and 101 other things! 

The last recorder figures in 2018 showed that the services had saved a combined £222,800 by attending patients that would have otherwise needed an Ambulance, ended up in A&E or requiring Police attendance. 

Why have we chosen the SOS Buses?

The busses are crewed by volunteers from a wide range of backgrounds, and many of them are students at ARU in Chelmsford! In addition to their studies you'll find a number of students giving up their time for free in order to support vulnerable patients in the city centre during the busy hours on Friday and Saturday. 

The services rely heavily on charitable donations in order to run! Money donated goes towards new equipment and training in order to keep the skills of volunteers up to date, and most importantly, the volunteers safe! 

It costs around £500 to run one bus for one shift! It can't run without donations! 

Open Road

Open Road is a Essex-based Addiction and Rehabilitation charity. In addition to the SOS Bus services, it operates a wide range of support programs including addiction and rehabilitation, Police Custody Appropriate Adults, safe needle exchange, community outreach and many many more! 

For more info on Open Road, head over to their website! 

https://www.openroad.org.uk/

Volunteering for the SOS Bus!

The SOS Bus is looking for more volunteers! Anyone can volunteer, all that is asked is that you're willing to get stuck in! The service asks volunteers to dedicate just one shift per month! But welcomes anyone that wants do do more! 

As a volunteer you'll be supported with training, this includes a nationally accredited 3 day first aid course, run at no cost to you. The Team Leaders on shift will ensure that you are assigned a mentor to fully get to grips with this unique and varied role! 

If you're interested head over to the website to apply! 

https://www.openroad.org.uk/volunteer/sos-buses-volunteering/