The holiday month sees a massive influx of visitors to our area, and they are important to the local economy. But it means that the number of accidents and illnesses can increase at a time when we have fewer volunteers about. Of particular note is an increase in the number of cycle related accidents, and also an increase in incidents in the areas of the Forest away from the roads. And that's where our local knowledge and our 4x4 prove so useful in reaching a casualty. So if you have family or friends coming down to the Forest this month, please make sure they take suitable precautions of cycle helmet, gloves and suitable clothing. And don't let them feed the ponies. Once you stop feeding them they can get nasty and to make their point and get your attention they can bite. And it hurts! The ponies don't need feeding - they live off what the Forest provides.

In an effort to help everyone in the New Forest, at a time when the ambulance service is under great pressure, some of our team have given up more of their time to provide an additional patrolling vehicle which is known as a "Dynamic Response Vehicle” (DRV) to assist with calls across the New Forest and Solent towns. We still provide cover locally but during some of the school holiday period we hope to provide a car and crew to give additional cover to enable the volunteers who staff the car to gain extra experience and skills in patient care, while ensuring a prompt attendance at a casualties side for calls that merit such a response. We may use one of the Bransgore cars or working with our colleagues in Ringwood it may be one of their vehicles which is used. The person acting as crew could be a community first responder from anywhere in South West Hampshire.

Please do not confuse what we do, with other organisation such as the fire service who operate under a business arrangement with the ambulance service and who get paid for attending calls. Our volunteers have the same skills and equipment but their motivation comes from within - and they seek to do what they do - purely for their community.

We will be attending Burley Show on Saturday 6th August. If you are visiting the show, do stop by and make yourself known.

Enjoy the holiday period and let's hope the sun shines