SOUTH Central Ambulance Charity will deploy a team of volunteer Community First Responders to demonstrate life-saving skills to the public at Southampton Railway Station today.

The demonstrations will form part of South West Trains’ Emergency Services Roadshow.

The event , the third of its kind, aims to teach both the commuting public and SW Trains’ own staff such skills as CPR and defibrillator use.

SCAC is also hoping to recruit 150 volunteers in three different roles, across the south.

SCAC CEO Rachel Coney said: “We need to recruit an army of volunteers from all walks of life and backgrounds, to train as Community First Responders; volunteer car drivers, to transport patients to vital medical appointments; along with general charity workers, to help raise funds or provide other expertise.

“Last year, our CFRs responded to 18,805 emergency calls, arriving on the scene in an average of 5.44 minutes.

“We invest funds raised by the charity in the volunteer services we provide to support SCAS.

“However, to continue the volunteers’ amazing work we need funds to support them: it costs around £2,000 to train and equip each CFR, plus an additional £350 a year to enable them to respond.”