Needham Market Football Club have raised £3,103.50 for local emergency medical charity, Suffolk Accident Rescue Service (SARS). The funds were raised at a Sportsman’s Evening which featured guest speaker Sky Sports Soccer Saturday Jeff Stelling. The event was held at Ipswich Town Football Club in The Sir Bobby Robson Suite with over 150 attendees.
Needham Market FC chose to support SARS as they provide specialist volunteer responders to assist the East of England Ambulance Service (EEAST) at the scenes of serious medical emergencies or trauma across Suffolk.
As a local scheme, SARS are the first emergency medical resource on scene in around 30% of incidents they are tasked to and this was the case on 6th November last year. A volunteer SARS Critical Care Paramedic rushed to provide enhanced medical care to Needham footballer, Byron Lawrence after hesuffered a very serious ankle injury while playing in a league match.
The SARS responder provided immediate pain relieving drugsto Byron to help stabilise his condition and to enable him to assess the full nature of the injury. The SARS CCP then continued to administer further treatment with the assistance of an air ambulance team before accompanying him to hospital by land ambulance.
Needham Market FC Club Secretary Mark Easlea said ‘The Football Club wanted to show it’s appreciation for all that SARS did on the day and for the vital service they offer when called upon. You hope you never need them but it is reassuring to know when called upon you are in very capable hands’. Throughout his ordeal Byron has stayed in a very positive mind set and has been overwhelmed by the support he has been shown. ‘I want to thank everyone who has sent good wishes to me via all social media platforms, but I want to particularly thank SARS and all the medical teams that looked after me on the day, I am truly grateful for everything’.
Gina Saunders, Project Officer from SARS has met Byron twice this year and added ‘it is wonderful to see Byron recovering so well and everyone at SARS is so grateful for the fantastic amount raised, thank you so much’.
Mark Easlea Club Secretary & Organiser of the Sportsman’s Evening presented the donation to SARS at their recent match against Mickleover on Saturday 24th September 2022.
Pictured are Mark Easlea, Byron Lawrence, Gina Saundersand her boys, SARS charity volunteer Sue Groom and SARS clinical volunteer Colin Gray, plus a very happy SARS Bear!
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