A proud milestone weekend for South East Coast Ambulance Service’s (SECAmb) Chief Executive, Simon Weldon, as his marathon training stepped up a gear and he completed his first half marathon. With just over a month to go until he takes on the incredible challenge of the Brighton Marathon on Sunday, 12 April, Simon clocked up a remarkable 13 miles recently – halfway to the finish line. Simon is run
A woman found unresponsive by a dog walker near Maidstone has reunited with ambulance crews and is now campaigning for better mental health and eating disorder support. Shannon was in her early 20s when a dog walker discovered a trail of belongings in Fant Wildlife Area in September 2022. After following the trail, the dog located Shannon, who was unresponsive and hypothermic. The dog walker imme
A Surrey woman who was unaware she was having a heart attack has thanked a SECAmb ambulance crew for their quick response and care, saying they saved her life. Last December, Janice Nuttall from Great Bookham phoned 111 for advice after suffering some chest pain and feeling short of breath. “It wasn’t a great pain, I have to say,” said Janice as, along with her husband Brian, she was reunited with
Connected road safety has taken a major step forward, with Škoda Auto introducing the HAAS Alert system into its vehicles, warning drivers when emergency vehicles are approaching. The system, developed by HAAS Alert and powered by its Safety Cloud, is already active in the UK and the Netherlands, with further expansion under way, including Belgium. Every additional connected vehicle strengthens th
Thanks to the life-saving actions of a bystander and South East Coast Ambulance (SECAmb) clinicians, a Sandhurst man hopes he’ll get the chance to see an 80s hit-maker he missed out on after suffering a cardiac arrest outside Brighton concert venue. Barry Wrench, now 70-years-old, was looking forward to attending a Gary Numan concert on Saturday, 22 November 2025, with his wife, Sheila, and frien
The family of a Kent man who survived two cardiac arrests is now arranging for their community to learn how to save a life after reuniting with the ambulance crew who brought him back. John, from Chainhurst in Kent had been go-karting with his family at Lakeside Shopping Centre in Essex on 30 October 2025 when he began to feel hot, clammy and complained of chest pain. Seeing John become increasin
In one of the service’s most pressured environments, Dr Gaurav Asal is known for leading with compassion which was recognised recently with a local presentation of his Chief Executive’s Commendation. Dr Asal, Integrated Care Medical Lead, was presented with the Chief Executive’s Commendation for Demonstrating Kindness during a local presentation led by Emma Webber, Clinical Operations Manager for
Eighteen years after putting on his uniform as a trainee technician, an Advanced Paramedic Practitioner from Paddock Wood is preparing for his toughest challenge yet by taking on the London Marathon. Pete Elliott, who has spent nearly two decades with the service, will take on the 26.2 miles through London to raise funds for The Blue Light Card Foundation, a national charity dedicated to supporti
Thanks to the swift actions of South East Coast Ambulance Service (SECAmb) clinicians, Crawley man, Jeffrey Fox, is celebrating five more years of life – counting – after suffering a cardiac arrest. With fewer than one in 10 people surviving an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, now 65-year-old Jeff knows just how lucky he is. Five years on from the incident, he and his wife, Loraine, rec
Cardiac arrest strikes without warning and when 50-year-old father of two, Gavin collapsed in Maidstone, it was immediate CPR from strangers that ensured he was reunited with his family for Christmas. On the morning of 10 December 2025, Gavin had walked his daughter to school with their cockerpoo, Milo, before heading home through Penenden Heath. Unbeknown to Gavin, his heart had stopped and he c