My first blog entry is going to be somewhat of a sobering one. I live in Milford, along the A6 north of Derby and regularly cycle into Duffield or Belper to do some shopping. Just after nine in the morning on Friday of last week I was cycling as usual to the Co-op in Duffield and I noticed something unusual. A little, elderly lady was teetering at the top of a steep pavement along Station Road. She staggered several times and then fell on her face in the road. I cycled over as quickly as I could. She was breathing, unconscious and bleeding. I put her in the recovery position and shouted for help as unusually, and unfortunately, my mobile was not with me. No one was about so I ran to the nearby Carwise garage. They were brilliant and help came out and supported until the paramedics arrived. I later learnt that Lucy was doing okay.
So, why is this instance so significant for my first blog entry? Well, when Lucy fell she fell off the road over the brow of a little hill. She could not be seen from cars passing on the road. It was a quiet part of Duffield and there were no pedestrians around. If I had not been cycling along, she could have been lying there for some time. I think the incident really made clear to me once again how important cycling can be in our communities. They can be the eyes and the ears and they can be present in an emergency situation at a moments notice. It is interesting to note that round the country, more and more emergency services are using bicycles as their chosen form of rapid transport.
Curious how this links in with some of the work we are engaged in at the moment at Choose Cycling. We are working with St John's ambulance in Derby to help train a group of their new cycle responders. In case you didn't know, these are volunteer first aiders on loaded bikes who cover public events from local sports and park occasions through to marches and demonstrations, responding to any situations requiring first aid, based on the principle that, in these situations, bicycles can often reach people needing medical assistance more effectively than vehicles.
I experienced this at first hand last Friday.
I'd like to end this blog entry by saying thank you to the Carwise garage in Duffield and, Lucy, I hope you recover soon.