Welsh Ambulance Service celebrates International Volunteer Day 2025
THE Welsh Ambulance Service is paying tribute to its volunteers for International Volunteer Day.
International Volunteer Day is the annual celebration of the contribution that millions of people across the globe make through volunteering.
More than 600 volunteers give up their time to support the ambulance service in Wales, including Community First Responders, Volunteer Car Service Drivers and Community Welfare Responders.
Among them is Dawn Jones, 50, from Porthmadog, who is a Community First Responder (CFR).
Dawn, who lives with her husband, Rhys, has six children and six grandchildren but despite her busy personal life, always finds time to volunteer in her community.
CFR’s attend 999 calls in their community and administer first aid in the precious first minutes before an ambulance arrives.
They are trained by the Welsh Ambulance Service to administer first aid, including oxygen therapy and cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), as well as the use of a defibrillator.
Two years ago, in a UK NHS ambulance service first, they were also trained to administer Methoxyflurane, or Penthrox, a fast-acting drug used to reduce pain in patients with a traumatic injury like a fracture, dislocation, severe laceration or burns.
Dawn said: “Being a CFR is about more than arriving first at the scene of an emergency; it’s about being a calm presence when someone’s world feels like it’s falling apart.
“It’s about offering reassurance, compassion, and vital care until the ambulance crew arrives.
“Every call reminds me how precious life is and how important it is to be there for one another.”
Alongside her role as CFR, Dawn also loves to go out into the community, visiting schools, clubs and groups, teaching basic life support.
Dawn continued: “I feel so passionate about teaching these skills that I have made it my mission, which is simple but powerful: to teach as many people as possible how to carry out CPR and use a defibrillator.
“These skills save lives, and I believe everyone should feel confident enough to step forward in an emergency.
“The more people know what to do, the stronger and safer our communities become.”
One of Dawn’s proudest achievements is that she has taught her children and grandchildren basic life support.
She said: “Knowing that my children and grandchildren have the skills to step in during an emergency fills me with pride and hope.
“My husband, Rhys, has been my rock throughout this journey—his support means I can give my time and energy to the community, knowing he’s always behind me.”
Another volunteering role with the Welsh Ambulance service is that of the Community Welfare Responders (CWR)
CWRs are trained to support the delivery of urgent care for patients in the community across Wales.
These volunteers attend 999 calls in their community and take a set of observations from patients, including heart rate and oxygen levels, which help the Trust's control room clinicians decide the appropriate next steps.
That might be dispatching an ambulance, signposting the patient to their GP, self-care advice or something else. If you have your own vehicle, the Volunteer Car Service (VCS) could be another option for those who are considering volunteering.
VCS drivers use their own vehicles to transport people to and from routine hospital appointments, including dialysis, oncology and outpatient appointments.
So far this year, they have made over 43,000 journeys across Wales and covered more than 1.2 million miles in their own vehicles.
They have also completed thousands of oncology journeys following an initiative where cancer patients are paired with specific VCS drivers for the period of their treatment.
Lee Brooks, the Trust’s Executive Director of Operations, said: “Every one of our volunteers shares a remarkable willingness to put others first, ensuring that communities across Wales have someone to rely on in moments of need.
“International Volunteer Day gives us a wonderful chance to shine a light on their efforts, the incredible time and energy they devote to supporting us, and to publicly express our gratitude for their continued dedication to keeping patients safe.”
The High Sheriff of Clwyd, Julie Gillbanks, also praised two of the Trust's volunteers following her recent ride out with CFRs Rachel Bostock and Richard Witheridge in Wrexham.
The High Sheriff said: ”I had the privilege of accompanying Richard and Rachel on a shift, where their skill and professionalism shone through.
”Thank you both for such an interesting day and getting to watch you in action was amazing.
”You and your colleagues are real life heroes.”