EEAST’s charity receive donation in memory of long-serving Norfolk nurse

The family of a woman who gave 42 years of service to the NHS in Norfolk has chosen the East of England Ambulance Service’s charity as one of the recipients of donations in her memory.

Yvonne Archer’s family requested donations in lieu of flowers and were keen to ensure that funds raised supported the local community in the Repps-with-Baswick area, a rural Broadland village.

The money donated to EEAST’s charity will go towards purchasing a new community first responder (CFR) kit for use by the coastal villages community first responder group which covers the local area where Yvonne lived.

In the last few years of her life Yvonne needed emergency help on several occasions from EEAST crews and the family also wanted to thank staff for the excellent and compassionate care they provided.

Elaine Thrower, Yvonne's daughter, said: 

'Yvonne Archer passed away at home on 25 August, aged 80. She received excellent care from East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust paramedics and team throughout her later years and at her sudden passing.

'Yvonne lived in the heart of Broadland Norfolk all her life and understood first-hand some of the challenges of rural communities faced – in particular being elderly and being remote from the hospital.”

Yvonne was a committed NHS nurse, from nurse training at the Norfolk & Norwich Hospital, to being a ward sister at Northgate Hospital in Great Yarmouth, where she ran the stroke rehabilitation ward.

She completed her nursing career as a tutor for staff and students, sharing her experience in how to care for people who may have fallen or needed physical help to mobilise. She was known fondly as Sister Brinded even in her later years by staff who worked in the Great Yarmouth area.

Elaine continued: “We, her family, took time to consider her wishes for donations received at her funeral. We sought to ensure that her life of committed caring, her passion for supporting the elderly, and her drive for helping people would be reflected in our decision.

“We hope that this donation will help the work of the local community first responder team who, in rural Norfolk, may be first to the home to help someone in need, and this donation reflects the spirit of Yvonne.'

The family were keen to ensure funds raised supported the local community in the Repps-with-Baswick area, a rural Broadland village in Norfolk.

Funds raised are being used to purchase a new CFR kit for use by the local CFR group, supporting new responders to the group, which covered the area where Yvonne lived. 

Shelley Moore, co-ordinator for the Coastal Villages and Potter Heigham CFR groups, said: "This is an amazing lasting tribute to a lady who dedicated her life to the NHS, and I know that the new kit will be put to very good use - especially as we have some new CFRs about to start their training."

The Coastal Villages and Potter Heigham Community First Responder groups cover rural villages surrounding the Norfolk Broads (Potter Heigham / Hickling / Thurne / Ludham / Catfield) and the coastal villages from Martham down to Caister-on-sea.

Community first responders are volunteers, who operate within the communities in which they live or work, often providing early life-saving emergency aid ahead of ambulance arrival. They are trained and governed by the East of England Ambulance Service NHS Trust. 

​Our volunteers are called on any time, day or night, to help reach patients most in need.  Attending around 1,500 incidents per month, their contribution really does save lives, reduce pain and provide reassurance to those requiring emergency care. 

Your support helps fund enhanced equipment, uniform and training for our lifesaving CFR groups.