Yorkshire Ambulance Service celebrates crucial work of volunteers

Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS) is celebrating the crucial work of its volunteers, as Volunteers’ Week kicks off across the country.

Volunteers are an integral part of the YAS team, dedicating their time, care and energy to support the service’s mission of delivering safe, effective and patient-centred care.

In 2024, YAS had nearly 1,000 YAS volunteers who collectively contributed over 270,000 hours, profoundly enhancing patient and community care in roles as:

• Community First Responders (CFRs) – trained volunteers who respond to emergency calls in their local area, providing immediate life-saving care before an ambulance arrives.
• Patient Transport Service (PTS) Volunteers – use their own vehicles to provide non-emergency transportation for eligible patients to and from healthcare appointments.
• Critical Friends Network – volunteers who are the voice of our patients to influence service developments.
• Community Engagement Volunteers – staff and existing volunteers who work in their local communities to pass on key skills such as first aid, basic life support and talk about careers in the ambulance sector.
• Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity Champions – staff raise funds the YAS Charity which supports the welfare of YAS staff and volunteers and helps with the delivery of community-based initiatives such as basic first aid training.

YAS said it is also grateful for the support provided by external volunteer programmes, such as the British Association for Immediate Care (BASICS), Mountain Rescue and Pets as Therapy.

This year, YAS is celebrating Volunteers’ Week by hosting its inaugural YAS Volunteer Long Service Awards, a new initiative to honour the dedication and commitment of its long-serving volunteers. These awards are a meaningful way for the service to express its gratitude and recognise the lasting impact of their contributions to its communities and the lives they’ve touched. 

By highlighting their achievements, YAS hopes to inspire and motivate both current and future volunteers to continue their incredible work and foster a stronger sense of pride within the YAS community.

“Thank you to all our volunteers for their dedication and commitment. Their contributions make a world of difference, and we are proud to honour and celebrate their service through initiatives like the Volunteer Long Service Awards.”

Amy Ingham, Volunteer Development Manager for YAS.

During the week, YAS will also be sharing inspiring stories of its volunteers across its social media channels and internal communications.

Development highlights of 2024-25

This year has seen substantial advancements in YAS’s volunteering initiatives. YAS achieved the Investing in Volunteers reaccreditation for the second time, reaffirming our commitment to high standards in volunteer management. Additionally, in response to feedback, we launched a new user-friendly e-learning platform to provide our volunteers with improved access to effective training resources.

It has been two years since YAS launched its first Volunteer Development Framework which sets out its commitment to supporting and enhancing volunteering. – here is a summary of what the service has achieved so far with more details here.

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