A garage in Princes Risborough has handed over a new emergency vehicle to help save lives in the community.

Risboro Garage, in New Road, donated a Honda CRV 4x4 to the Princes Risborough Community First Responders (CFR) team at a special launch ceremony on Friday, April 10.

The Risborough area community responders are volunteers, trained by the ambulance service to respond to medical emergencies before an ambulance gets to the scene.

At the launch ceremony, in Princes Risborough Golf Club in Lee Road, Saunderton, Mark Tubb, the managing director at the club and chairman of the Rural Community Defibrillation Group (RCDG) thanked Risboro Garage directors Sean Graham and Tim Stevens for the gift, which aims to improve the effectiveness of the responder team.

CFR team member Geoff Clark, who is one of eight volunteers, told how important the addition of a brand new emergency vehicle 4x4 vehicle is for the team and the community.

He said: "A 4x4 will gives us greater access in all weathers and terrain. But most importantly, it enables us to carry Entonox (gas and air), a vital pain relief which can only be carried in vehicles which are insured through the ambulance service, in this case, South Central Ambulance Service (SCAS)."

The new High Sheriff of Buckinghamshire, Francesca Skelton, came along to the launch and praised the community first responders for their work in rural communities - In March this year, the Princes Risborough team recorded 413 hours on call and attended 32 emergencies.

The next step in Risboro Garage’s partnership with Rural Community Defibrillation Group is to install two more life saving defibrillators at Princes Risborough Fire Station and Princes Risborough Police Station, each costing £1,500.