Shrewsbury footballing trio awarded for life saving aid

It was a wet, windy morning on November 17 last year Norman Pryce, David Walker and Mick Lewis sprung into action as a routine match for Shrewsbury Walking Football Club took a turn for the dramatic.

The football club, who play once a week at Monkmoor Recreation Ground behind the Shrewsbury Training and Development Centre, is for older people and was first set up by Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin in October 2013.

While walking football is designed to keep players fit and active it is not supposed to be overly taxing, so it was a shock when Norman and David, who are two of the club’s first aiders, noticed fellow player Ray Moreland sitting on the ground with his hands on his knees, head bent forward, breathing abnormally and with great difficulty during a 10 minute break in play.

They first placed Ray in the recovery position with an emergency foil blanket to keep him warm but soon observed he was drifting out of consciousness and, even more concerning, David believed Ray had stopped breathing.

The pair then used their first aid training to start CPR assisted by Mick and thankfully, 10 minutes later, Ray began to breathe again just as the ambulance crew arrived.

The three men were praised by medical staff at the Royal Shrewsbury Hospital for their efforts and have now all been awarded the resuscitation certificate from the Royal Humane Society in recognition of their actions.

Ray, who continues to recover well, said: “Words are totally inadequate to sum up what I feel. The team of Norman, Dave and Mick saved my life. I get tearful about it every time I reflect on their efforts. We have built up firm friendships playing walking football. Thanks for your support and for giving me back the rest of my life.”

Heather Osborne, chief executive of Age UK STW, said: “It’s really nice to see Norman, David and Mick being commended for their heroic actions.

"It’s incredible the courage and quick thinking they demonstrated during that cold November day.

"This is just one example of how valuable volunteers are and the importance of having first aiders on site.

"First aid is one of the most popular training courses we offer our volunteers. We have strict regulations as a charity with regards to training volunteers, but these skills can be applied to everyday life, outside of volunteering and the work environment. I would urge people to enrol on a first aid course. You never know when someone may need your help.”

The club is holding a buffet and presentation awards ceremony on July 27 at 12.30pm at the Abbey Pub in Monkmoor Road for the three men.