Join charity cycle challenge to mark LIVES’ golden year

The charity is passionate about being there for the people of Lincolnshire when they call 999, with volunteers responding to more than 14,000 emergency calls a year.

LIVES needs £1.4 million every year, to support, train and equip its army of skilled volunteers who are saving lives countywide.

So could your passion for cycling help support them?

A launch event took place on September 1, when a group of riders cycled from the Lincs FM building in Lincoln along the River Witham to the LIVES head office in Horncastle.

A spokesman for LIVES said: “The ride was approximately 23 miles long and each rider was raising the vital funds LIVES needs to attend the 999 medical emergencies we are called to everyday.

“Now we are hoping others will join the challenge and help us to continue to save lives.”

The cycling challenge asks each person to log their exercise miles on a bespoke Strava group and collectively see how far across Europe the miles will take them.

For each landmark or new country, a prize will be added to the hamper, with anyone who signs up in September being in with a chance of winning.

For those who like the competitive element, the person who records the most miles during September will also receive a prize, with leaderboards and travel updates are available along the way too.

What if your own personal passion for a sport had led you to needing LIVES?

LIVES volunteer responders are called to many different types of medical emergencies and on a sunny summer’s day last year, a LIVES Paramedic had logged on and received an alert from the operational Support Centre at Bracebridge Health in Lincoln.

A member of the public had called 999; a cyclist was injured.

The cyclist was riding alone on country roads, when he came off at the bottom of a hill.

The LIVES paramedic was ideally placed and could respond from his home address in minutes. He was first on scene, with additional support allocated to other emergencies.

The patient was thankfully wearing a cycling helmet and was awake and alert, but quite badly injured.

Having someone there, to assess him and keep him still and calm was so important.

The LIVES paramedic could tell the patient was struggling to breathe, a suspected punctured lung. He was clearly in a great deal of pain.

The LIVES paramedic inserted a cannula into the patient’s arm so pain relief and other medications could be administered and also applied a pelvic binder.

An Air Ambulance took the cyclist to the nearest trauma centre, in Nottingham.

The patient had a number of serious injuries, but it was the quick action of this volunteer who ensured this cyclist didn’t have to wait hours for support and medical intervention.

This cyclist still enjoys his passion for cycling and will be always thankful for LIVES and the support they gave that day.

• To sign up to the LIVES Tour de Europe, and be in with a chance to win the hamper, visit https://bit.ly/2YuKhhI