AFTER the march reached Mill Island, the marchers were addressed by Cllr Keith Cafferty (Chairman of Nantwich Town Council), Edward Timpson(Crewe and Nantwich MP), Cllr Bill McGinnis (immediate past Chairman of Nantwich Town Council), and Gavin Palin (a First Responder).

Marching again for democracy

COUNCILLOR Bill McGinnis said: “It is good to have our new MP involved in this campaign because I know that the work he’s doing for us down in Parliament and through the usual channels is extremely valuable to us. I would like to thank him for that.

   “Today we have seen Nantwich on the march and our MP mentioned the Civil War. That is apposite because when the Civil War was fought here, Nantwich was for democracy and against imperialism. This time we are marching again for democracy because it is a quango we are fighting.

   “The quango has decided that our First Responders should be reduced in terms of quality to that of a push bike when we had, in fact, a Rolls Royce service.

   Outlining the proposed cuts and changes to the service, he said: “It is a nonsense. There is no real, good reason for it at all, except that someone in the bureaucracy has made a bad mistake. And now they are lining up behind him trying to defend an impossible position. That’s what it’s all about.

   “The people of Nantwich marching today have thrown the message out far and wide,” he said.

   Cllr McGinnis paid tribute to The Nantwich Chronicle and Belinda Ryan who had been tremendous in building-up public support. He also thanked the Nantwich Guardian who had also carried stories.

   He continued: “The battle doesn’t end here. The fight goes on. Next Wednesday (July 16) I will be at the County Council whose Scrutiny Committee is going to look at the proposal which the North West Ambulance Service is putting forward. They would not be at the Scrutiny Committee meeting had it not been for the pressure which we have managed to impose upon them.

   “They have been dragged in there kicking and screaming and they are going to put the proposals to the committee, hoping they will rubber stamp them. We believe that the committee will kick them in the backside and send them back to where they came from. And that is where they should go.

   “There will be a proposal put at that committee meeting to knock it back completely and I hope it goes through.”

   He said that on Monday, July 21, Edward Timpson would be joining the Town Council at Brookfield Hall. The council chairman and some councillors would be meeting up with the Chairman and Chief Executive of the North West Ambulance Service. “We are hoping that all of this will lead to them totally rethinking what is a piece of pure nonsense.”

A fantastic turnout

CREWE and Nantwich’s recently-elected MP, Edward Timpson, said: “I asked Bill McGinnis (last year’s Chairman of Nantwich Town Council) when the last march was in Nantwich and we think it was during the Civil War (1644). That really lends testament to the fantastic turnout today. It has turned out to be a memorable occasion.”

He extended thanks to:

   Nicola Tooke for organising the march with all her colleagues.

   Ann Ostridge, who for the last three months had worked tirelessly getting together more than 10,000 names on a petition which had been handed in at No 10 Downing Street the previous day.

   Rachel Broadhurst (widow of Steve Broadhurst who had collapsed in his milk float) “for her strength and her determination.”

   Cllr Bill McGinnis and Nantwich Town Council “who have taken this issue by the scruff of the neck and – like myself – are determined not to let it go.”

  He also thanked all who had taken part in the march “because today’s event and today’s impact would not be anything like it is if it wasn’t for you turning out today. Can I thank each and every one of you for making that real effort. It makes a huge difference.”

   He added: “We need to pay tribute to the Community First Responders, not only in Nantwich but across the whole of the region. We all know that they are volunteers. They do it out of the goodness of their hearts. They are highly trained, they are highly professional and they are highly regarded. And everyone should realise that - including the North West Ambulance Service.”

   Mr Timpson concluded: “Today isn’t the end of this story. It is just another chapter and we will continue the fight to save what is an absolutely vital service to our local community. We will not rest until we ensure that our First Responders get the respect and the service that they, and we, deserve.”

Overwhelmed by the march

GAVIN PALIN said he and his fellow First Responders were overwhelmed by the march. “We looked at a Saturday to do this, but tomorrow (July 12) is the Fun Day. It just shows that no matter what the day is people will turn out in numbers. It does matter. I can’t thank you enough. It will make a difference. We are going to give the North West Ambulance Service a major headache.

   “If we just keep going, keep fighting, keep Edward Timpson on our side and make sure we push it I am sure we will get there.” 

l It should be stated that Gavin was in the march as a member of the public. The First Responders are not allowed to take part in any protest against the proposed changes.

Thanks to 'movers and shakers'

COUNCILLOR Keith Cafferty said he took no credit for the day’s event. He expressed thanks to the “movers and shakers of the First Responders unit, Angela, Nicola, Ann, Rachel and Janet.”

 Page 1:  The original letter  |  Page 2:  Protest march  |  Page 4: Updates  |  Page 5: Updates continued