The All Exclusive Podcast

S4 E3 - NARS Special

• Jack Jenkins • Season 4 • Episode 3

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One Year On: How Jack’s Challenge Raised £55,000 to Save Lives
It’s been a year since Jack’s Drive to Save Lives wrapped up — and what a journey it’s been! Jack set out to raise £30,000 before his 30th birthday… but thanks to incredible support, he smashed that goal, handing over an amazing £55,000 to the North Air Rescue Service!
In this special catch-up, Jack reunites with NARS volunteer Steve Maddoms to hear how the brand-new first response vehicle funded by the challenge has already been out saving lives across Norfolk.
Plus, Jack sits down with Potters Friends Foundation CEO Nathan Moore to reveal a brand-new initiative — and an exciting new goal for the Potters Resorts team as they continue their mission to make a real difference. 
Tune in to see the incredible impact of your donations, hear powerful stories from the front line, and find out what’s next for Jack and the Potters Resorts family.

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SPEAKER_01:

Well, hello and welcome back to the All Exclusive Podcast. Yes, episode three. This one is a little bit different for you, though, for a couple of reasons. But coming up, we're going to be talking all things charity. Last year I took part in the Jack's Drive to Save Lives initiative for the Norfolk Axel Rescue Service. Well, today we're going to be talking to Steve Maddams from NARS all about what NARS does and about a brand new initiative that Potters Resorts will be taking up this year, not just here at Hopton on C, but also at Five Lakes as well. However, beforehand, I am joined in the studio by um by this.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey man, it's the King of Rock and Roll. I just want to see what else I want to say. Do you understand what else I said, Jack?

SPEAKER_01:

I don't think anybody understood a word you just said at all. Why did you do the double clap there?

SPEAKER_02:

I don't know. I thought, you know, you had to clap once. I thought I'd do it twice, baby. But Jack, when you say it's uh, can you uh refer to me as King, baby? That's right, the king. 30 million, 30 billion records I sold in a year, man. What are you even on about? I don't know, man. I just uh I'm a bit nervous, Jack, because you're uh Jack, you're a god to me, man. I've been a god for a long time.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm just gonna apologize all uh already. Um this is when I asked you to just jump in and have a bit of a chat with me. This is this is not what I meant, James.

SPEAKER_02:

It's not James, man. James is a terrible, terrible singer and it's a terrible actor. You turned to the King of Rock Rome, man. I just love you.

SPEAKER_01:

Remember, you sound less like Elvis Presley and more like Donald Trump right now.

SPEAKER_02:

I'm trying my accent, man. That's all I'm gonna say. Is I just want to see for the last time what's so on, I just want to see. What do you want to say? I can't remember. Uh I I feel tired of fatigued. You see, I come back to work after a terrible hamstring injury. You probably heard about it.

SPEAKER_01:

We literally talked to you just last week.

SPEAKER_02:

Oh, yeah, I can't remember. Yeah, it also affected my memory as well, man. That's right. I just said I'm very tired, very fatigued. And I flew over all the way from Kansas to be a man. Just be go easy on me. Where's my cuts of creams, man? Where that's around, mama. That's around me. Oh, thank you, baby.

SPEAKER_01:

I do apologize to everybody who had to listen to that. I apologize even more if you are watching this on YouTube or on Spotify because the sight of this is much worse than what it sounds like.

SPEAKER_02:

Okay, Jack, you okay, man? Do you want to ask me any questions? I've got to go, man. I've got to go and have a cheeseburger, man. Oh yeah, I shall say it. I like cheese with money in it. Thank you, sir. Well, first of all, you said you had records available. I forgot, yeah. Everyone, I'm gonna call. I got records available rats right now. Uh uh records available at Narridge Police Station, baby. Yeah, that's what I'm saying. Get it, it's a joke. Joke. Great you'll get it by next next part of the day. I want to sing a song for you, Jack. I want to sing one song for you. It goes like this Wise Mercy. Only food's rushing, for I can help sitting with my new best friend. That's you, Jack. Colleagues, we're just best friends. Um lovers.

SPEAKER_01:

Did you take time, James, to colleagues? Uh take time to watch Johnny Mac's episode last week.

SPEAKER_02:

I did, man. He's a very nice, he's a very nice man. I didn't know if he's like, you know, half leprechaun. Not well, I mean, you yeah, you would think so, wouldn't you? I bought him a fishing rod for Christmas, that's all I'm gonna say.

SPEAKER_01:

You're actually doing some late nights with Johnny in the garden bar. How's that been going?

SPEAKER_02:

It's been going really, really bad. Everyone hates us.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and you can understand why. Um I was gonna take this opportunity to say to it's James, by the way.

SPEAKER_02:

Off camera. It's not recording, is it? It's me.

unknown:

We know it's you.

SPEAKER_02:

It's me. You know it's me.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, whoa. I mean nobody else would act or look quite like that. Wow. I was gonna say to take this opportunity if you haven't yet to subscribe, like uh the all-exclusive podcast on both YouTube and Spotify, and wherever you get your podcasts after listening to the last five minutes, um why would you? Why would you want to? Um James.

SPEAKER_02:

King King.

SPEAKER_01:

What are you what are you wearing, first of all?

SPEAKER_02:

Today I'm wearing one of the Elvis uh outfits I wore in the 962 Comeback. Uh you can see it's made with beautiful, beautiful stitches.

SPEAKER_01:

It's not an Elvis outfit though, is it?

SPEAKER_02:

It's a well no, it's an ABBA outfit, but I couldn't find an Elvis one. That's why I'm wearing the ABBA outfit. Dancing queen, young and sweet only.

SPEAKER_01:

I feel like you're a man who's possessed. Can we talk to James Alhern for a moment?

SPEAKER_02:

Hang on, I'll just see if he's there. No, he's not in at the moment. Lights are lights are on, no one's home. I'll it I'll send him a message. What do you want to say to him, man?

SPEAKER_01:

Uh, how's it been? Uh, because you he did his first show back after his injury on Monday, first full Potter's Theatre Company performance. How did that go?

SPEAKER_02:

Well, can I tell you I like the Cadbury Club, I think it's amazing. Top class show. Uh, I was very nervous actually to be in it. That's right. And it all went great. I was working with my best friends, uh, you, Brian, um, everyone was there. The fantastic Potters Theatre Company.

SPEAKER_01:

All of your best friends, and you named two people that you've got.

SPEAKER_02:

Yeah, most people don't like me. But I was in there, I I really enjoyed what I did, man. And I think, you know, the guests are very lucky to have a top-class show like that. I mean, I'd like to show you, I'd like to perform something actually that I did in my 1950 A comeback when I was in Vegas. Dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun, dun. Never know how much I love you.

SPEAKER_01:

Going back to this again.

SPEAKER_02:

Never know how much I can. When I put your arms around this, you get a fever that's so hard to bear. That's for you, Jack. When I sit next to you, I get a fever. I come across all funny inside.

SPEAKER_01:

Um while we want to. I knew this was a mistake. I knew.

SPEAKER_02:

Hey Jack, what do you want for Christmas? Let's let's talk about something different. You know, we're nearly near Christmas. We are nearly near Christmas. It reminds me of the 1930 song I did as well. No, no, no. Love yourself.

SPEAKER_01:

What do you want for Christmas, Jack? What well obviously we've already started Christmas uh rehearsals. Uh are you excited for Christmas this year? Or are you going to pull another injury and be off for another 30?

SPEAKER_02:

To be honest, when there's children involved, it might be the other hamstring man, but no, I I should be fine, fully fit, can't wait to go. I'm actually looking forward to uh a little uh special that uh all the guys and the girls are doing where we do a little warm-up, bit of a you know, Markham and Wise show just before the uh the main fantastic Christmas show. So I'm looking forward to that. We're working on that right now, aren't we, Jack? We are, but I'm you haven't given me anything to do yet though, Jack. I'm just waiting for I'm waiting to be cast on your show, man. I just haven't had anything for I've been checking the email every day.

SPEAKER_01:

Yep, and keep looking. It'll be it will it will be there. I'm not sure if it'll be there this Christmas or uh when it will uh I'm really tired now, anyway.

SPEAKER_02:

I've got to go over lay down. Can we hurry up, man? I'm really tired.

SPEAKER_01:

Well, I think uh there is uh a particular reason why we we don't have James in every single episode. I don't uh there is a lot of that conversation we cannot even use, which is why we love James sometimes, or the king, as he's being referred to. Um I want to take this opportunity as well just to say a huge thank you to all of those people who have been liking, sharing, subscribing to the all-exclusive podcast on YouTube, which you can now, I hope you're watching this on YouTube. I know some people have been sending in their pictures of them watching uh on the TV. So why don't you go on to the um Potters Resort official group page and send pictures of where you are watching the All Exclusive Podcast. If it's on your phone, on your TV, on your laptops, wherever you are, how are you watching the All Exclusive Podcast? In addition to that, as well, I don't know if you know this, but we are now on Instagram and TikTok, uh, where we're going to be sharing different shorts and reels about not just clips from the episodes, but also some other bonus content at some point as well. So have a look on TikTok or Instagram if you're on there, uh, so you can keep in the loop with everything, all exclusive. And maybe we'll use some of the uncut bits from uh chatting to James a little bit earlier on. Um, it was great to see your response from Johnny's episode last week. As I said, this episode is something a little bit different because it has been one year since we handed over the check for the Jack's Drive to Save Lives Challenge. Now, the aim was£30,000. Thanks to you and all of your support, uh, we ended up handing over a check for£55,000, which is absolutely incredible. Yes, I was dressed as a lobster while I did it at the NAS Ball literally a year ago, almost to the day. Um I took part in so many incredible challenges last year. Uh the Moulden Mud race, London to Brighton cycle, which was£56 miles on a bike, wing walking, which was a terrifying but incredible experience. The race across Europe, where Henry and I had to travel all across Europe. Um, it was all sponsored by Adrian Flux Insurance. And as people donated the unlocked funds, we managed to get um onto a train. We managed to get a lift with one of our listeners, Ross. So a huge thank you to Ross. He gave us a lift to the airport where we then got on a plane over to Milan, down Milan into Naples, and uh it was an incredible 30 hours a race to see as far as we could get. We ended up raising, I think about three, four, maybe five thousand pounds just in that 30 hours alone. Um, and as I said, all of that money created a pot of£55,000, which we ended up handing over to the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service for a brand new life-saving first response vehicle. I'm going to be talking to Steve Maddams now, all about NAS, all about where the money went. So here is my chat with Steve Maddams. Press play. We have. And uh I wanted to get you into the studio to have a bit of a chat with you because it has been one year since the Jack's Drive to Save Lives Challenge. Uh, and it was a well, it was a busy year, let's face it. And you are the man behind a lot of my pain initially within that challenge period as well.

SPEAKER_03:

Well, my last visual um thought in my head is you as a red lobster, which I can't get out of from our ball last year.

SPEAKER_01:

Yes, yeah.

SPEAKER_03:

And we've had 12 months go very quick, and we're here again, but no jack and no lobster. So I'm a little bit disappointed. I know.

SPEAKER_01:

I needed a I need a break from crustaceans uh for the year. Um, first of all, uh you will do it more justice than I will. Can you tell us a little bit about what NARS is, what it what it does, and how long it's been going for?

SPEAKER_03:

Of course. So uh we are Norfolk's emergency medical charity established in 1970, so 55 years this year. Uh we attend around 2,000 jobs a year from our doctors, nurses, critical care paramedics, paramedics, emergency responders, which is a new scheme that we've just launched last week, and first responders all uh responding out there, saving lives in Norfolk.

SPEAKER_01:

And they're they're all volunteers as well. It's all sort of charity-led and and volunteer run.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so 95% voluntary. We have uh one paid line, which are advanced paramedics, which have to be uh at the clinical level they give um that's a paid line from the ambulance service. But we it we we have the most um well we like to say we've got brilliant vehicles and we've got the base. Um the ambulance service has the have the um have the skills in the team, so we bring that together to to to make the advanced paramedics work really well. But yeah, 95% of voluntary. So we have all of our first responders, emergency responders, uh standard paramedics, uh, and doctors are. So yeah, it it's great. And they give all their time up, which is fair.

SPEAKER_01:

How how many team members do you have then?

SPEAKER_03:

We have around uh now we've got around 55. Yeah. So about 55 and from all sorts of life from from uh firefighters, police officers, teachers, um, marketing directors, um, you name it, small holdings farmer. Um we have all sorts of people give the time up to go out saving lives. And that's incredible as well.

SPEAKER_01:

I I think I think this is why NARS and Potters lines up so perfectly because it's that sort of community spirit. I mean Potters is all about its community, and NARS is all about helping the community and the community coming forward for for that sort of thing. I think that's in one of the incredible things. I also had the pleasure to come and see the HQ and and all of the equipment that you've got there as well, and so that's all charity funded as well.

SPEAKER_03:

So that yeah, everything from the base to the vehicles to the uniform and equipment we have to raise money for, which is why we're forever in debt of Potters and John Potter, our patron, who who agreed to be our patron in 2018 and always backs away from any type of spotlight we put him in and say thank you for for his time. But without you guys, you know, we wouldn't have the vehicles we've got out there and um and and more awareness of who we are because we are the great unknown, so we couldn't be more um thankful to Potters and what you guys do for us.

SPEAKER_01:

No and do you know what it was it was quite nice to to be telling people about what NARS is, as you said, um you know, so you sort of go under the radar a little bit. Um last year when we were doing the challenge, uh it was so good to uh get people to rally behind a cause, but also um, you know, sort of shout about NARS and all the the wonderful work that you do. Um the the challenge essentially was to raise£30,000 before my 30th birthday. Uh and you helped kick start with one of my first challenges. Um I remember that. That was come up for two years ago. Yeah, it was it yeah, right at the uh almost at the start of it. And uh do you want to talk about this, the the trip to Lower Stoff College? Because I had no idea. Yes, um, and actually it was possibly the most scared I'd been for any of those challenges because I did it pretty well.

SPEAKER_03:

Um yes, so uh as I said, most 95% of us are voluntary, so all all I do is is voluntary for NARS. Um I have a full-time job, I work in the energy sector and uh with the regional energy sector here. I've got some very good relationships, and there's a lovely lady called Rachel Barn, who actually is a Potter's advocate and she's a fan. So she often goes to Five Lake, she's been here. Um she is vice principal at East Coast College, and I knew she had this one of only a few um um survival, um sea survival pools where they do all their training to get the tickets to go out to work offshore. And I thought, what a perfect thing for Jack to get involved with. So we looked at a North Sea survival challenge, and I remember being next to the control unit of the of the guy and said, make it the worst you possibly can. So I think you faced Gale Force nine wins.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and you did really well. I'm I'm having flashbacks right now. It was um it was hell. It was the the wind, the rain, the flashing lights, um, and uh you you got me to do a series of different challenges, or uh some involving uh a life raft, um with lights out or some of them. Yeah, yeah. It was it was hell. It's the only way to describe it in the in the sort of the freezing cold water. But uh what what even possessed you to think of such a challenge?

SPEAKER_03:

Well, I didn't want to do the usual, you know, let's start with a with uh a walk from here to to lower stuff. I thought, well, let's kind of throw you in literally, excuse the pun at the deep end.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and you did do that, that's for sure.

SPEAKER_03:

And then we had to go, what else can we do? And you've done some amazing challenges. Let's um hopefully you had fun. And I'm really looking forward to the um Mark Brewer 70 challenges of 70 for 70,000.

SPEAKER_01:

I think that would kill him off. I think we're trying at the moment we're just trying to keep Mark alive at all costs, and that probably would would finish him off. Um, no, uh yeah, some of these challenges I I had a lot of fun doing. I mean, some of them were hell at the time. The Moulden Mud race in particular was, I have to say, I think as much as I enjoyed it, was possibly the most difficult one. I thought I was gonna die at several points there. Um, and the London to Brighton, I think was the one I may have enjoyed the most for how tough it was, but how rewarding it was. Um, but again, it's it's it was sort of those moments where our Potter's guests would, and and yourselves at NARS, because you know you'd share on your socials the things that I was doing. The community coming together and getting behind that was such a great um yeah experience. Yeah, absolutely.

SPEAKER_03:

I thought Potters may lose you this year as a wing walker. But they haven't. We actually uh I saw some wing walkers with my family this year. And I was like, oh, is it gonna be Jack and it wasn't you?

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, the the wing walking, especially uh was again one of those another another nerve-wracking experience, but incredible when when you're up there and sort of in the sky was pretty um amazing.

SPEAKER_03:

And really, you know, you the uh the adrenaline that you you managed to um deal with yourself, but the fact that the Potter's community raised all that money was you know, again, just tremendous, and it does honestly make a difference to us going out there and saving lives compared. I I I've said this m quite a few times, compared with uh, for example, the Nero Ambulance Charity, we get around one percent of an annual income. Obviously, they've got a huge cost compared to us, but it's you you line up one peak to a hundred, it's it's it's trying to make that peak work as much as it can. Um, and and us being a great unknown, I've said it before, if someone's run 999, they don't care who's coming through their door or to where they are, um, they just want help. Yeah, and it's not always appropriate to us ex to explain who NARS are and what we're doing, they just see us as the person there to help them. So sometimes we get the opportunity to afterwards or um uh when the scenes calm down a bit to explain who we are, and people are absolutely amazed. Um an example was not long ago. We went to uh obviously we don't say where I went, but somewhere in Norfolk, we went to a construction site to um a member of staff who was working out on the construction site, started to get um really sweaty and and some chest pains, and he had a heart attack before and he knew the he knew the signs weren't very good for himself. Um NARS went to him, um stabilized him, ambulance came very quick. He was in the recess spay at a hospital within within I think 10 minutes of the first resource arriving, and he's reached out to reach the team who went to him, and uh things like that. It's great. He's he he now knows who NARS are and he wouldn't have had a clue who we were. Um and yeah, it that for us it's it's making sure people know that we're out there doing this.

SPEAKER_01:

Um we have done for 55 years, so it's it's quite I mean that that is I mean it's incredible. Oh, I know you know you can't talk a lot about some of those stories, but going to the NARS ball last year, and yes, I was dressed as a lobster uh while I was doing it uh to sort of round off my challenges to hand over the check, but hearing some of those um first hand accounts from people at the at the ball particularly was was incredible because it really you know brought it all home. It really makes it all uh real, right? And listening to all of those accounts must must be like that for you for you. Well, when you because you must have to sit back every now and then and just you know think about the difference that that NAS are making.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so uh for us it's heartwarming to see the patients um when it's appropriate. And at the ball, it was really good to put patients in front of 200 guests sitting there to see real life from the young lad who broke his thigh bow bone on his second day of some holidays to to Jeff who survived uh sudden cardiac arrest with Ryan shocking him 19 times, I think. And you saw him on the stage together. It's it's it's inspirational, um, it's priceless, and we say so many often. Uh, we some of us met Prince William at Norwich Air a couple of years ago, and to say to him it's life is priceless, it really doesn't matter who you are, what you've got in the bank. Life is so priceless. And for us to make a difference of that patience, uh we've got teams out right now, you know. As as we we sit here, we've got teams out providing care as we're speaking here, and they've our voluntary guys going out and ready to save lives.

SPEAKER_01:

No, it's it is incredible. And again, I want to say a huge thank you to all of our Potter's community and and and the listeners of this podcast as well, because the aim was£30,000. Um, and we managed to hand over a check a year ago, pretty much to the day, for£55,000, which was absolutely incredible. So, once again, a huge thank you to all of our community.

SPEAKER_03:

That money went towards a new first response vehicle, yes, it went towards our new Tuareg, which is for our critical critical care team. Um, it's been tremendous. They've they've been to hundreds and hundreds of taskings since they went live last year. Um, it's uh we so as a as I said, a charity we go to about 1,600 jobs uh to 2,000 um in the year. That one itself um has done around 500 jobs. Um and it's it's it's got the enhanced um engine, it's got um specialist kit on there, like we showed you or um showed showed you before when we brought it to you. But the main thing is it's it's a reliable, um, resilient vehicle for our team to use to go to the most serious jobs there are, and they can be sent, they're often sent from our base in Deerham or if they've cleared a hospital such as the Norfolk and Norwich, they can be sent over the board as well. Um it's a borderless as such. So they've been sent to lower stoft on blue lights, you know. So that run has to be, you know, they have to have a vehicle that that's robust, resilient, and it it's it's perfect. So without you doing your windwalking, your mud, um swaying your um jumping in the North Sea survival challenge, we wouldn't have um that car available to do them jobs, yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

And um, no, well, um we we're glad that it you know it's all gone to such such great use as well. I mean it you know, invaluable um for that. What would you say is um the best way for people to support NARS other than through some of these challenges and things like that?

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, so follow us on social. We try and put out as much as we can about our teams going on shifts and what we're doing. Um so we're on all the usual Facebook, Instagram, um, we've come up to the 21st century on TikTok.

SPEAKER_01:

On TikTok as well. It's TikTok. I'm worried to see what you you you get up to on TikTok then Steve.

SPEAKER_03:

And um LinkedIn. So yeah, if you're on any of them, do follow us and see what we do. If anyone you know can do any type of events for us, if you're if you're especially if you're based in Norfolk and you can do a a cake sale, a birth sale, because quite a few people this day and age, if they've got everything they have in life, then they for birthdays they they ask people to donate to us instead, and that's quite nice. Um, so anything to raise us money, as I as I've said, and really as as we say to a lot of people, it's the voice to understand about NAS who we are. We can always turn up with a handout. Like, I'll probably try and get£10 out of Jack before the end of the podcast.

SPEAKER_01:

I feel that coming.

SPEAKER_03:

Uh, and for us it's just the voice of people knowing who we are, and you've definitely definitely helped with that with your social audience and also here on resort. And I always say you should be shouting about it more. I know you're quite um you could you like it, you don't want to look like it's um Potters doing it for all the reasons like we're amazing, but you guys are amazing, you should be shouting about what you're doing.

SPEAKER_01:

No, we well, thank you very much. I mean, it's it's about getting the the name of NARS out there, and hopefully, we're gonna talk a little bit later on about this new initiative uh that Potters are pairing with you and with basics as well.

SPEAKER_03:

And I I just want to make sure that people who's listen who who are listening to this and watching this who come to Potters and you always feel a little bit sus when Mark Brewer or Jack walks around with a pint glass taking your pounds, they do make a difference and they do actually come to us. It's not going to Mark Brewer's retirement fund or Jack's I don't know, super yacht challenge. It is going to amazing um charities and groups such as us.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, and uh again, it's it's not just the challenges that I did, it was the on-resort funding through game shows and things like that. Um even yesterday we do we did a brand new game show deal or no deal, um, but we ended up raising a hundred and plus pounds, 150 pounds, just just with a small group of guests in the in the in the garden bar yesterday. So um no, it it it it all goes a long way. Yeah, this is the point. What would you say before before we wrap this this bit up? And we're gonna talk about the new initiative a little bit later on with Nathan, but what would you say is your most proud moment of your time? How long have you been at NARS, first of all? How long have you been a part of that?

SPEAKER_03:

If it's been 55 years of of NARS, yeah, I've been I've been responding myself for 10 years this year, and I think I think it's around personally 9,000 jobs, around 700 cardiac arrests from um teenage children to as old as you get. So um we're always ready to help as and when we're needed. Probably one of the the one that sits with me is um Archie, and it was I was actually on shift but not on a job. I'd stopped at a petrol station to get a uh it was the Euros were on, and I stopped to get some crisps and ice cream because it was a hot part of the year. And I walked out of the petrol station and I looked, what is that mum doing to the child? And I thought she was shaking him, and then she looked at me and goes, Help, my son's choking, and he's nine years old. And I look in and he's going blue, and he'd eat the travel suite that she's always told him not to eat, and he had it completely stuck. So I got him out, sat him on the back of my car. I she had no idea that I was on call and available. It's like one of them just complete times of fate. And um I booked an immediate um call in myself called a running call, and got an ambulance on its way immediately to to back me up and dislodged the suite. Um, so yeah, he had I mean that job because of how it came how it came through and the possibilities of him being um very, very unwell. The air ambulance came. So we had a great day, Archie, and and that that that that's one of the ones that um got quite a bit of press. So you can type in Archie's choking in Wyndham, and you could find the story and see little Archie's face. So that's probably one of them, but all we want to do is is give back. None of us are doing this for any other reasons. We just like to give back, and um one good thing, we we are just part of one big chain of survival, these patients. So, what what I do can just impact the crew turning up to sustain somebody who may have gone to cardiac arrest and we've resuscitated for then the specialist teams, such as our critical care team or basis essex or the air ambulance to come and give that person um the best care possible. We're just all one part of that chain. And I know there's eight people out there right now who being in the right place at the right time of of myself getting a shock in with a defibrillator, are still here today. Um, and and that's why we do it.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, it's it genuinely is saving lives every single day, which is which is incredible. So thank you very much for taking your time out just to have this conversation because I thought it was important, you know, one year on from the challenges just to come in and and hear a little bit, you know, about you know the first hand accounts of where the money's gone and and all of the the things that come with that.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, and we've got uh you mentioned we're we're 55 years, so we've got our ball. Uh this is going out on Monday, but uh we've just had a ball at the weekends coming up now. Um, and we've got a great night to celebrate as much as we can with with people to thank them as well. And it's a shame you can't be there.

SPEAKER_01:

I know, and and oh yeah, you won't see me dressed as a lobster this year. Last year it was a lot, it was a lot of fun walking in and everyone being quite confused at why there was just someone dressed as a lobster wandering around, which was everyone was dressed up in their you know bow ties and cocktail dresses and yes, yeah. Well, thank you, Jack. Thank you very much, Steve. Thank you. Steve Madam's there that we were talking to all about NARS, but we have a brand new initiative coming up here across Potter's Resorts, not just here at Hopton on C, but also at Five Lakes as well, because we're going to be supporting the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service and Basics, the Essex equivalent of NARS. And uh this is a new initiative called Every Second Cance. Now we also caught up with Nathan from Potter's Resort. He is the CEO of the Friends Foundation in memory of Brian Potter, MBE, to tell us all about what the Every Second Count initiative is. So here is that conversation. Perfect. Okay. So yeah, that was great. This is your first time. Yeah. First time in the studio as well. As well. Yeah. What do you think? The space has been transformed. It is quite lovely. It is. It's quite it's been quite nice having our own little space and not being in a cupboard like we used to record different bits. Nathan, we thought we'd bring you in to the studio as well, along with Steve, to talk about the new charity initiative that we've got going on, which is Every Second Counts. Obviously, it would have been technically two years ago now. We did the Jack's Drive to Save Lives. But Every Second Counts is all about the Friends Foundation. Could you tell us a little bit, first of all, what the Friends Foundation is?

SPEAKER_00:

Just for people who might not be aware as much. So the Potter Friends Foundation is a community interest company. The Potter family set it up in 2014 when Brian sadly passed away, Brian Potter, MV. So yeah, essentially it's our charitable branch, if you like. Potter Resorts exists as the venue for full inclusive holidays. And the foundation is there to support charities, charitable projects. And every second counts is kind of the first joined up initiative where the kind of Hoxton team and the Five Legs team have come together for one cause.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah. Because over the years, the Friends Foundation has raised money for all sorts of different causes, hasn't it? Not just, I mean NAS particularly, uh, and some of their first response vehicles, but other um Yeah, so NAS um I think we bought the first car in 2018, didn't we?

SPEAKER_00:

And I think John became patron at that point prior to that. And since that, we have supported other charities like Big C, which is Norfolk's community uh sorry, Norfolk's Cancer Charity, uh Break, which is uh another local charity in the Norfolk area supporting young people. Um, but I think with since certainly since COVID, I think we've kind of doubled down on the life-saving message. Yeah. And you did only the brave as well, don't you? The the run, the run. Yeah, freestangling air ambulance. So yeah, we've always done those those charitable uh those charitable things. Obviously, where guests come here and they do the tombola or they drop a pound in a hack in the lunchtime special and things like that. Um, all that money goes into the foundation fund to then distribute to to causes. And um, and I think as I say, I think probably in in more recent years, you know, the life-saving message is so strong. Yeah. And I think, you know, charities like NAS and also now Basics Essex, which we'll we'll come on to in a second, um you know, they're all voluntary. Yeah, they're all they've all got full-time jobs, but they they still give up their time to you know jump in a car and respond to emergencies. It literally is life-saving.

SPEAKER_01:

And it's not something that people know about, is it, really? And it's again, I know we touched on this earlier, but talking to some of our guests, it's almost like educating them a little bit and just letting them know that these organizations exist, which has been so great to it. It we're bringing our community together for a particular cause as well, which I think has also been quite powerful, um, and sort of you know, building this sort of um momentum up for it. And I think that's that's actually been you know quite effective, really.

SPEAKER_00:

Um I I think you probably say every year at your annual ball, it's like you don't know we exist until you until you need her. Um and I think that's that's really true. I think you know the the charities, especially when they're small charities like NARS, um what tends to happen is they don't know how to raise awareness. So actually, you know, being able to use our in-house marketing team and design team and you know, our entertainment team and things like that to push that awareness is just as key as raising the money itself. Um and that's why things like the you know, the the challenges you were doing. Yes, it raises awareness. Yeah, someone might think, oh, he's jumping out of the plane today, so let's, you know, we'll put£10 in or five pounds in or whatever it is. Um, but actually what you're doing when you do those things is raising awareness.

SPEAKER_01:

It's and it's been so it's honestly the support from our guests and the wider community has been was so lovely throughout all of those challenges. Uh, and I'm looking forward to seeing uh what new things pop up with this new initiative, which is every second counts.

SPEAKER_00:

Every second counts, yeah. I mean, the name speaks for itself. I think we probably know what these guys do now, and probably explain that. Um, so as I say, it's it's the first kind of joined up initiative we've had with Hopton and Five Lakes kind of working together for for that combined mission, I suppose. So NARS have an equivalent. NARS is a is part of a wider network in England or the UK um called Basics. So there's a branch of BASICs in Essex, and they do exactly the same thing as NAS. Yeah. So we're we're kind of introducing them as well as giving the the Five Lakes team, you know, that real uh strong message to get behind. They're now started hosting Tombolas there, and they'll start doing you know similar things to like the lunchtime special in their own unique way. Um, and the money we're obviously trying to raise£50,000, all of that will be split between the two charities under that umbrella of we're gonna save lives.

SPEAKER_03:

And for us, I think it's good to put a little bit more meat on the bone about the every second counts because we touched about NARS, but with actual cardiac arrests, it is so true with every second counts. The chance of surviving uh out of hospital cardiac arrest in the UK is between seven and ten percent. Um, and the more people you know how to to provide CPR, it doesn't matter, you don't have to be a NARS volunteer, you can be any person as long as you know something, it's better than doing nothing as as if someone collapses in front of you. Yeah, and and in places like in Holland, just there are a 25% chance of survival now, yeah, because it's it's absolutely there's a there's a defibrillate on every corner. There's it's taught straight away from the time people go to school. And I know we've they've they've added the curriculum now here in in the UK, but any everybody can help, and um, we can only do our bits, whether it's our our our specialist teams or our first responders, if there's something done straight away, because the chance of surviving drops 10% every minute, something not done to a patient who's gone into cardiac arrest.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, I think that the name of the campaign is it's perfect, it's interesting, yeah, yeah, yeah. It just sticks. Yeah. Um, and obviously before with Jack's Drive for NAS and things like that, where we've got these two charities now that combines those two communities in both Norfolk and Essex. Um it's just a really strong, it's just a really strong message. And I think you know, the volunteers, what wonderful people they are to give up their own time to do it. But you've got the volunteers, haven't you? And and I think we've put three cars on the road already. Now it's about that life-saving equipment that that goes in in the cars. So it's the things like the heart monitors, the D fibs. Every time you use a D fib, you've got the pads that you can't reuse. So it's just you've all three of those things are kind of vital in being able to provide the service that you do.

SPEAKER_03:

Yeah, we have we have something called a Lucas device, which is an automatic uh chest compression device. After around two minutes, we become not that we we think we're fine, but actually our compressions become um less successful in uh in in health patients. The automatic Lucas device does it automatically, but they're£12,500 each. So the money that's raised here could go towards a new Lucas device for one of our vehicles or any piece of equipment that we need to help carry on saving lives.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Um, so yeah, I mean, if if guests are hearing this and they're on resort, and the the important thing is that because we're a community interest company, we're not a charity, um we're not paying, you know, we're not paying your salary as a fundraiser or anything, we're not paying a CEO's salary. It's basically the Potter's Resorts team that's coming together to support the foundation. So if someone literally drops a pound in a hat, every penny of that pound will go to every second count. Um, it will literally go to, providing that equipment goes in the back of those cars and saves lives.

SPEAKER_01:

And I I think I think that's it again, that that's what makes what we're doing on resort uh and with this with these um initiatives so important because as you said, all the money goes straight to those charities. Um what ways can people find out about uh the different challenges or different initiatives that we're going to be doing to raise money for every second camp?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, so I think there's always that constant fundraising that we do. Like I say, I've mentioned the the Tom Bowler and the lunchtime specials, but I think equally there is that awareness factor. So if we do do a challenge and there'll be some joint challenges between the two resorts where we'll try and get you know you and and the team um at Five Lakes involved, um and ideas are you know more than welcome.

SPEAKER_01:

Don't speak to this man, do not speak to this man about chat. A boxing map. Yeah, white collar. Yeah, well let's let's keep throwing ideas around and see what comes.

SPEAKER_00:

So there will there will be things, and and guests can kind of keep up to speed via our blog. Yeah, um, blogs will get pushed on on socials, um, all the social media channels as well. So we won't be you know, we won't be shy about sharing information. And guests can just read it, you know, or when they come, they can get involved. We'll have a a page where people can make uh a donation digitally if they're not on resort. Um at the same time, it is it's an awareness thing. Yeah. People are here on holiday, so we're never gonna be, you know, super pushy about it. But um at the same time, we you know we're quite proud of the fact that we're showing who NARS are, we're showing who basics Essex are, and we're highlighting the the work that they do.

SPEAKER_01:

Um I think that's the and that's the important bit, it's raising the awareness and the message as well. I think now it's incredible. Um thank you so much for joining us. You know, I know just a brief conversation, but I think we wanted to definitely get the message out there, uh, especially it being a year on from the last challenge. It's people keep asking me what's next, what's what's coming up now.

SPEAKER_00:

And and that's that's the key thing. I think when you think, right, we've delivered this colour. Yeah, and it's amazing. Yeah, you know, you think you there's a there's a tangible outcome to all of that fundraising, and it's sitting outside Potter's Resorts, and it's going out on how many calls a day, you know, in the last year you probably responded to Yeah, we we said the cars are number 500 tasks that one itself.

SPEAKER_03:

But um, what what I'm getting from this, Nathan, is Jack is there's definitely a hunger and interest here to do a challenge within everything. There definitely is. You can tell that he's missing them. I don't know how we survived here with no more challenges.

SPEAKER_00:

But yeah, I mean but the the important thing to remember, the challenges I think are just about awareness. Yeah, I think when we get those out on social, it's like, oh yes, okay, we know every second counts. Next time I'm gonna make a point to it. Gets people talking, doesn't it? It gets people talking, and that's that's important. But the key thing is, and and going back to the point about the car, it doesn't just stop there. We don't we don't you know present a car to NALS and then all of a sudden problem solved with that equipment is so important to keep replenished, and uh technology changes, new equipment like the one you were just talking about, those come to the market, and it's like, yeah, actually, if we had that, the the chances of survival increase. And that's the important thing.

SPEAKER_01:

Now, thank you very much, Nathan and Steve, for joining us in the studio today. To have a bit of a chat about it, and we look forward to hearing a bit more about you know, after some of these challenges, we'll look forward to hearing what we're gonna be doing. Yes, thank you so much. Thank you. There we go. A huge thank you for watching this episode. I know it's been a little bit different, but on the one-year anniversary of handing that check over, I thought it was so important to talk about how important the Norfolk Accident Rescue Service is, and of course how basics is so important as well, and how we are going to be supporting them moving forward. The new aim of£50,000 across both resorts for this life-saving equipment. We cannot thank you all enough for supporting in the last challenge we did. And we look forward, I'm not I'm saying we look forward, I'm not looking forward to seeing what challenges are thrown our way very soon. Um, if you've enjoyed this episode, once again, make sure you do follow us on all of the social media Instagram, um, Spotify, YouTube, all of the above. We're gonna be releasing some more shorts of this episode and previous episodes. Um, pretty much every day we've been releasing them. So have a little look online for that to keep your all-exclusive content coming. Next week, we will be back to a more regular format uh with one of our familiar faces from Potter's Resorts. I'm gonna let you guess who that will be coming up. Uh we're gonna drop a little teaser throughout the week. So have a wonderful week, and we will see you next time on the All Exclusive Podcast. Bye.

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