Community Champion, Tony Larks, Reading Football Club
A man has been praised for stepping forward to volunteer as a community first responder (CFR) during COVID, “one of the hardest years in the history of the ambulance service”.
Tony Larks’ nominator for Community Champion said: “If you take a look at Tony’s LinkedIn profile, he introduces himself as a ‘Marketer by day; Community First Responder by night’.
“I remember Tony signing up during the COVID-19 pandemic – the interview process, the examinations, the training, the buddy system and so much more.
“During one of the hardest years in the history of the ambulance service, Tony stepped forward and he has continued to step forward every single day since,” they said.
In October, Tony will celebrate his fourth year as a CFR for the South Central Ambulance charity which provides the funding for over a thousand CFRs across Berkshire, Buckinghamshire, Hampshire, and Oxfordshire.
“Having served his community by attending over 1,500 call-outs, the majority of which are life threatening, his drive and desire to be there to help others is limitless,” said his nominator.
“I am not sure what it takes to be the first person to walk through someone’s door, not knowing what you’re going to be faced with, but Tony does this without hesitation and with a passion to serve his community.”
On top of his day job and his CFR responsibilities Tony has organised and attended multiple fundraising events, donated many hours to other organisations, and helps the local food bank with regular weekly donations based on their urgent needs.
“Tony is truly a force of nature, deserving respect and gratitude for his relentless service to the community,” they added.
The Community Champion award is sponsored by Reading Football Club.
