Since 2004, TASC, The Ambulance Service Charity, has arranged and hosted a national memorial service to honour, remember and thank the ambulance family members across England, Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, Guernsey, Jersey, Gibraltar, and the Isle of Man.

In attendance, representing the trust, were Director of People Lisa Ward, Chaplain Karen Jobson, Paramedic Garth Swarbrick and Paramedic Helen McKenzie.

Lisa said: “It was a real privilege to lay a wreath in memory of those we have lost over the last year. It was a moving and emotional occasion, shared with colleagues from other services and with families.  From a personal perspective it reinforced to me, the strength of the bonds we develop across teams working in this service, the importance of supporting each other as we deliver care to the vulnerable, and how deeply we feel the loss of those who work alongside us.”

Garth was the trust’s standard bearer, and he said of his experience: “It’s difficult to put into words what a day like that meant.  We came together not simply to remember names, but to remember people, colleagues, friends, family members, and members of our ambulance family who gave so much in the service of others.

“Standing among colleagues from the other services throughout the UK was a powerful reminder that the years may pass, but the impact these people had remains. Their legacy lives on in the service they helped build, in the colleagues they inspired and in every patient we continue to care for.

“As a paramedic, I felt l incredibly proud to wear the uniform and to be part of something much bigger than one individual. But it brings a sense of responsibility to remember those who came before us, to look after those beside us, and to ensure that their sacrifice continues to mean something. For me, it wasn’t about looking back, it was about carrying out their memory forward.

It was a privilege and an honour to represent North West Ambulance Service today.”