BASICS Essex celebrates volunteers and community support at Annual Supporters Evening
BASICS Essex has celebrated the extraordinary contribution of its volunteers and supporters at its Annual Supporters Evening, while reflecting on another busy year of providing vital pre-hospital emergency medical care across Essex.
The event, held on Tuesday 22 September, brought together volunteers, fundraisers, supporters and corporate partners to hear about the charity’s work throughout 2025 and the difference their support has made to patients and communities across the county.
BASICS Essex is a team of over 25 highly trained volunteer emergency clinicians, including doctors and critical care paramedics, who respond to some of the most serious medical emergencies across Essex. Dispatched by the East of England Ambulance Service Trust, the team’s clinicians bring enhanced medical skills, specialist equipment and advanced drugs directly to patients at the scene, when every second can make a difference.
In 2025, BASICS Essex volunteers responded to 352 emergency callouts, travelling more than 4,400 miles to reach patients in need. These responses included serious road traffic collisions, cardiac arrests and other life-threatening medical emergencies.
The Annual Supporters Evening was an opportunity to recognise not only the clinicians who volunteer their time and expertise to respond to emergencies, but also the individuals, community groups and businesses whose fundraising makes the charity’s work possible.
£25,000 raised by Potters Resorts
Among those celebrated was Potters Resorts, which has raised an outstanding £25,000 in unrestricted funding for BASICS Essex through its ‘Every Second Counts’ campaign.
Team members have thrown themselves behind the campaign, organising and taking part in activities ranging from prize tombolas to team charity runs.
The importance of the partnership was brought into particularly sharp focus when a BASICS Essex team doctor provided emergency CPR to an entertainer who collapsed on stage at Potters. The incident demonstrated first-hand why rapid intervention and emergency medical skills can be so important when somebody becomes critically ill.
Nathan Moore, Head of Content at Potters Resorts, said:“We are proud and honoured to support the work of BASICS Essex. The message of saving lives is something that our team and guests have really got behind, and the incident just goes to show that you never know when you need them most.”
The £25,000 donation has enabled BASICS Essex the flexibility to direct the money to where it is most needed and helping the charity continue to equip and support its volunteer clinicians.
Recognition from the Broadway Belles WI
The evening also celebrated the support of Broadway Belles WI, who recently nominated BASICS Essex for ‘Team of Pride’ at the Pride of Essex Awards.
The nomination recognises the collective contribution of the charity’s volunteers and the commitment they show in making themselves available to respond to emergencies across Essex.
BASICS Essex thanked the Broadway Belles for putting the charity forward and for helping to raise awareness of the volunteers working behind the scenes and on the frontline to support patients across the county.
Terry Cornelius, Secretary at Broadway Belles, said; “None of the group had heard about BASICS Essex before volunteer John Horton came to do a short talk, which really inspired the members to learn more about the charity’s life-saving work in the community. As a collective, we raised over £10,000 for the BASICS Essex, and were pleased to nominate them for such a prestigious award – we wish them the best of luck!”
Raising a glass with the new BASICS Essex Gin
Supporters were also introduced to a new fundraising initiative created in partnership with East Coast Distillery – BASICS Essex Gin.
The new gin provides another way for supporters to raise funds for the charity while increasing awareness of its work in communities across Essex.
Anything But Basic Passion Fruit-Cello £28. Purchase from East Coast Distillery, Thorpe Le Soken, or via their website, with a donation from each bottle going to BASICS Essex.
Responding through a challenging summer
The evening also provided an opportunity to reflect on the challenges BASICS Essex has faced during the year, including the impact of the Rettendon explosion incident during the summer, which left significant damage to one of BASICS Essex responding vehicles, while forcing the charity to relocate to a temporary office location.
The experience reinforced the importance of the community standing behind BASICS Essex. As a charity, fundraising is essential to maintaining its emergency response capability, providing specialist equipment and ensuring its volunteer clinicians can continue to reach critically ill and injured patients.
Every donation, fundraising event and partnership helps make those responses possible.
Paul Gates BEM, Chairman and Co-Founder of BASICS Essex, said: “Our Annual Supporters Evening is our opportunity to say a heartfelt thank you to the volunteers, fundraisers, businesses and community groups who make our work possible.
“Our clinicians give their time to respond to people experiencing some of the most serious medical emergencies imaginable, but they can only do that because there is an incredible network of people supporting them.
“From Potters Resorts raising an amazing £25,000, to the Broadway Belles recognising our team through their Pride of Essex nomination, and our exciting new partnership with East Coast Distillery, this year has shown just how much support there is for BASICS Essex.
“After what has also been a challenging year for the charity, that support means more than ever. Every pound raised helps us continue to be there when patients and their families need us most.”
BASICS Essex is encouraging individuals, community organisations and businesses across the county to continue supporting the charity through donations, fundraising and partnerships.
You can read more about their recent fundraising appeal and donate here https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/hqrecovery
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