PAGE 8
GGEW NEWS SUMMER 2013
A MUM and daughter
fought to save the life
First Aid
of an elderly woman
collapsed with
Training for Arnaud who
suspected heart failin Brentwood
Leader helps save a ure
Tina, 54 a volunteer at the Gidea
life
Park-based Girl
because you never
know when it
might be
needed.
“Afterwards we
both got a bit
emotional, you
don’t do it to get a
thank you, just to
help someone is
enough – it makes
you realise how
precious life is.”
Jamie, who works on
the network transformation team for the Post Office, said: “At the
time, I wasn’t really thinking about anything, just focusing on what I
was doing.”
Guides group the
Arnaud Rangers, and Jamie Davis, 23,
were being driven home from Brentwood railway station to their home
on Hillside when they spotted a woman lying on the pavement on
Westbury Road, a crowd of people grouped around her.
Husband and father Bill Davis, 55, pulled over and the pair, both
trained in CPR, rushed over.
“Do you know what you’re doing? Do you need help?” Tina asked the
group of about four people, introducing herself as a first aider.
“The woman was blue and wasn’t breathing, she had apparently been
Extract from article in Brentwod Gazette
walking home with her husband and collapsed with heart pains.
Tina said: “I started by giving her two breaths and then started
compressions.”
Jamie said: “A police car arrived after mum had done
three sets of compressions, it could only have been a
minute or so. They asked us if we knew what we were
doing, we said we did, and they let us carry on.
“The ambulance crew arrived soon after but we didn’t
stop, we carried on whilst they got out the defibrillator
and oxygen.”
Tina said: “The woman was still showing no signs of life
at this point, however her colour had improved slightly.
rownies all over the
It meant we’d achieved something.”
County have been
Jamie added: “We were obviously doing something right
putting their suggestions
because they didn’t tell us to stop.”
forward for a name for our
Tina said: “They put a tube into her throat, cut her
clothes and used the defibrillator a couple of times, as
Owl Mascot for the Big
well as giving her some adrenaline.”
Brownie Birthday next year.
The air ambulance landed at about 6.45pm in the
The competition closed at
nearby Westbury Road car park.
the end of June and the
Tina said: “The air ambulance crew slid her onto a
name chosen by the Big
board and used a machine to pump her heart.
Brownie BirthdayTeam will be
“Her colour was better by this time.”
printed onto special sashes
The woman was taken to Queens Hospital in Romford
during the summer ready for
by road ambulance before the air ambulance departed
at about 7.25pm.
her to go on sale in
Jamie said: “The ambulance man said to us ‘you’ve
September. The winning
done well, you’ve given her a chance’.
Brownie will have a special owl
“As they were leaving he gave us a thumbs up.”
with a sash printed just for her with her name on it, a very special prize
Tina, who works in quality assurance first trained in
indeed!
CPR at the age of 18. This was the second occasion
The price of this cuddly mascot will be £5.50 plus postage and there is
she has used her first aid skills.
a limited number of just 750 , so don’t delay in getting your order in once
The mother-of-two, who also volunteers with Gidea
they go on sale.Details will be on the website and included on the ebulPark-based Girl Guides group the Arnaud Rangers,
said: “All we did was buy her a bit of time and did our
letin so make sure you don’t miss out.
best to give her a chance before the paramedics
The owl is all part of the Big Brownie Birthday being planned for 21st
arrived.”
June 2014 at the Helena Romanes School, Great Dunmow. It will be a
Tina said: “You never know when you might need to use
day of fun and adventure and tickets will also be on sale from September
them, but we couldn’t just drive past and do nothing.
“I would recommend anyone to go on a first aid course
Brownies
Mascot Owl will
soon have a name
B
and printed in-house by Girlguiding Essex West, Suite S1, Bates Business Centre
Church Road, Harold Wood, Romford, RM3 0JF
SUMMER 2013
Tilbury and Aveley
Guides have a
Miserables time in
London
COUNTY PRESIDENT
Avril Brampton
01279 724744
[email protected]
COUNTY COMMISSIONER
Jan Knight
07973 144260
[email protected]
ASSISTANT
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
Chris Skinner
01375 671051
[email protected]
Ann Matthews
[email protected]
mobile: 07778 994543
COUNTY TREASURER
David Brampton
01279 724744
[email protected]
PUBLIC RELATIONS and
NEWSLETTER
David Henderson
01375 376460
davidh@26kingedward
.freeserve.co.uk
COUNTY OFFICE
ADDRESS
Girlguiding Essex West
Suite S1
Bates Business Centre
Church Road
Harold Wood
Romford, RM3 0JF
Linda or Sylvia
Monday-Friday
9am to1pm
THE GIRLGUIDING ESSEX WEST NEWSLETTER is published three times a year
for Leaders, Advisers, Members and supporters of Girlguiding in Essex West.
Editor:- David Henderson,
e-mail: [email protected] 01375 376460
PERIODIC NEWSLETTER FOR GIRLGUIDING ESSEX WEST
COUNTY
CONTACTS
office@
girlguidingessexwest.
org.uk
01708
373746
ollowing several weeks of Guide
meetings discussing the theatre and
utilising educational material to provide
an understanding of the background and
historical context in which the musical Les
Miserables is set, we were ready to set off to
London.
On Saturday 8th June 2013, 20 Guides
from 2nd Tilbury and 3rd Aveley Guide units
headed for the West End stage.
The day was organised by the Education
team at Delfont McIntosh theatres and made
possible by the funding from the Jack Petchy
foundation.
The Guides eagerly arrived at the door to
the Queens Theatre, London at 10:30am and
the day commenced with a tour of the front of
house.
They were shown a variety of costumes
worn by characters within the show and given
the opportunity to try some of these on while
the characters and their significance within
Les Miserables was explained.
We then continued our journey by following
a day in the life of the theatre. From early in
the morning staging needs to be set and
tested. Every light and microphone is tested
individually on a daily basis. We were then
shown backstage with the opportunity to test
out some of the props and the Guides
willingly volunteered to assist in the testing of
the rotating stage!
The opportunity was offered to two of the
youngest Guides to make their promise and
get enrolled on the centre of the stage - a first
for both the Guides and the theatre.
With their new understanding of the
musical and theatre life
they now had the
opportunity to work with
the staff from the theatre
in putting their very own
spin on the scene “Master
of the House”.
Every Guide got
involved producing a
F
dramatic masterpiece.
Ending the morning
we spent some time
with the theatre
manager and a
member of the cast
who was both part
of the chorus and
an understudy for
one of the leading
roles.
This allowed the
Guides to ask
questions about the
theatreworld, the
musical and the
cast member.
The Guides also started to learn about
some of the unsung heroes from backstage
undertaking vital roles that may not have been
thought about previously and the career
opportunities available within the theatreworld
for those not wishing to be on stage.
After lunch in Leicester Square we then
watched the matinee performance of Les
Miserables. There was then a presentation of
certificates before heading home with some
excited, emotional and tired Guides.
The day was summarised by one Guide as
follows: “I didn’t enjoy today, I LOVED today,
the backstage tour and being on the actual
stage just made it ten times more emotional
as well as moving and just over all fantastic.
The workshop was so creative and fun to take
part in and then to top it all off we had the
amazing chance to watch the matinee
performance of the one and only Les
Miserables which was just incredible! It was a
once in a lifetime opportunity and the day was
just mind blowing! I would love to do it all
over again”.
This sentiment was echoed by all the
Guides and Leaders.
Sarah Stride
Website: www.girlguidingessexwest.org.uk