Lifesaving hero to retire after years spent volunteering
A COMMUNITY hero who has dedicated the past decade to helping save lives is retiring.
Bob Lilley, a community first responder (CFR) and founder and coordinator of Shepshed Lions, has given tens of thousands of hours of service volunteering for the NHS.
He has raised funds and maintained 30 public access defibrillators in Loughborough, Shepshed and the surrounding areas during his 25 years with the Lions charity.
In the last nine-and-a-half years he has attended countless life-threatening emergencies as a CFR.
Bob will hand over the reins on July 1 after contributing an “immeasurable amount of good” to the local community alongside East Midlands Ambulance Service (EMAS).
Community first responders are a group of volunteers who are highly trained to respond to 999 calls and lifethreatening emergencies alongside the ambulance service.
Bob said: “I am extremely proud of what we have done together and achieved as a team. We have, together with other previous responders, built up a really strong and professional team that is well respected in the communities we serve and with EMAS.”
A spokesman for Shepshed Lions said: “Together, Bob and his wife Susan have done an immeasurable amount of good for the local community, with 25 years involved in the Lions charity, and nine-and-a-half establishing and running our Community First Responders group.
“Bob has helped thousands of patients, given tens of thousands of hours of service to EMAS, attended countless cardiac arrests and undoubtedly saved lives. “He’s also fund-raised, installed and maintained around 30 public access defibrillators in and around Loughborough and Shepshed, many of which have been deployed and used, and showed thousands of people how to do CPR and use a defibrillator.
“These are truly commendable achievements. We will definitely be keeping in touch, as Bob will continue to support the scheme after his retirement – when he’s not sunning himself on holiday somewhere exotic!”