First Responder gets a surprise "One Big Thank You" on BBC1
The surprise was then continued as Martyn was led outside to find a small socially distanced crowd of friends, family and team members. A big screen then began to play heart felt messages of thanks from fellow colleagues, patients who he has helped over the years and some of Martyn's favourite celebrities too, including comedian Matt Lucas, former football player and Match of the Day host Gary Linker and radio DJ Dave Pearce.
The messages of thanks came thick and fast including from friends and long standing members of the FVFR team Libby Stennett and Mary Riches, as well as from Mick Barnett-Connolly Head of Community Response for East Midlands Ambulance who thanked Martyn on behalf of the service for everything he has done. There was hardly a dry eye in the house when Misterton resident Rebecca Ford then thanked Martyn on behalf of her family for the time when he responded to her baby nephew. She said: "6 years ago my beautiful baby nephew was lifeless and in distress, but without you being so selfless and responding and giving him the vital oxygen that he needed, that night could have been completely different." Rebecca went on to say that he is now a fit and active 6 year old boy and was in fact that night busy enjoying playing a football match.
Former Misterton resident and Martyn's friend since childhood, Peter Potter, also appeared on the show to give his thanks too. Peter described how he'd been injured when he returned to Misterton to play in a sporting match last August and had experienced Martyn's care first hand at the scene of the accident. "I landed head first and had broken my neck and fractured my skull, without Martyn being there I don't know how much differently things may have turned out" said Peter in an emotional message. The hosts of The One Show, Alex Jones and Rylan Clark-Neal, both thanked Martyn for his outstanding work and confessed that they'd both shed a tear after seeing the video messages.
Martyn was a founder member of the FVFR team and has continued to be the volunteer coordinator and a responder in his spare time, as well as working as a full time Paramedic and operations manager with East Midlands Ambulance Service. The voluntary group currently consists of 14 dedicated members and has gone from strength to strength over the last 17 years, attending hundreds of 999 calls annually in support of the ambulance service. The Community First Responders live in the community and are trained by the ambulance service to respond and begin care of a patient while the ambulance is on it's way following a 999 call. The team carry life saving defibrillators, oxygen and other vital medical equipment. The FVFR team cover the villages of Misterton, Beckingham, Walkeringham, Gringley on the Hill, West Stockwith and surrounding areas in North Nottinghamshire and North Lincolnshire as and when required. Martyn has spearheaded other local initiatives with the support of his team, including the installation of 19 Community Public Access Defibrillators as well as free to access CPR and defibrillator training for local schools and residents of the villages.
Of his "One Big Thank You", Martyn said: "I am absolutely shocked, overwhelmed and very very humbled to receive such as lovely surprise. I have enjoyed every minute of the last 17 years volunteering alongside such a fantastic and dedicated group of people. We are a close knit team and it is a pleasure to work with them all. Without all their hard work and devotion to the community and without all the support we receive locally, none of what we do could happen, so this thank you is for everyone." Martyn went on to say: "a huge thank you to Karen for nominating me , all the FVFR team, my family and friends for the work they have done behind the scenes to keep it all secret and to make this wonderful surprise happen, as well as Misterton Fire Station for their continued support and for hosting us on the night."
The Five Villages First Responder team are always on the look out for support and for new volunteers who would like to become Community First Responders. For more information see the website www.fvfr.co.uk or the teams page on Facebook.
