A Machynlleth train conductor has been recognised by Transport for Wales for his 14 years of service as a community first responder.

Machynlleth conductor Gareth Mason has been working as a community first responder for more than a decade, giving 16 hours of his time each week to the service.

Community First Responders are trained and supported by annual in-service training by the Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust, being on call for a particular area for the time they have specified and the Welsh Ambulance Service will contact them if there is a situation they can help with.

Speaking on his years of volunteering, Gareth said: “I got into it back in 2010 as I really wanted to be a bridge between patients and the ambulance service.

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“There is a lot of pressure on the service and these roles allow us to get a response to patients sooner, which can be the difference between life and death.

“I found that I wanted to become a community first responder because I saw that the response times in my area were really slow, and I wanted to be the bridge between the gap.”

As a community first responder, Gareth also acts as a guardian” to several Public Access Defibrillators in the area, to check they are still in full working order.

He added: “I’ve been to about 16 cardiac arrest patients and on each occasion a defibrillator and CPR has been required.”

Transport for Wales recognised Gareth’s years of service as part a celebration of their volunteers for National Volunteers Week, celebrating those who go the “extra mile”.

Marie Daly, chief customer and culture officer at Transport for Wales said: “Gareth is a fantastic example of where our people are going the extra mile for those in need in their communities and we will do all we can to help our colleagues where they want to volunteer.”

Judith Bryce, assistant director of operations at the Welsh Ambulance Service added: “Volunteers like Gareth make such a difference to their communities and the people they help.

“We are always grateful for the generous gift of time from our volunteers across Wales, who attend serious and often life threatening emergencies. We are constantly amazed by the dedication, quality of care and selflessness that community first responders bring to the people of Wales.”