11 remarkable groups of people, each with a remarkable story to tell are on their way to 10 Downing Street next month to be personally congratulated by the Prime Minister after being crowned National Life Savers in the annual Vodafone Life Savers Awards.

The Awards, now celebrating their fifth year, are designed to honour unsung heroes - both in the emergency services as well as ordinary members of the public - behind Britain’s most remarkable lifesaving rescues.

Winners will attend a glittering star-studded awards event at London's Café Royal on Wednesday, November 1, where they will collect their award before an audience of 300 guests. 

The following morning they will be whisked off to a special reception at Number 10, hosted by Prime Minister Tony Blair.

Vodafone has become an Ambassador for the emergency services after creating Life Savers five years ago as a national tribute.  The Vodafone Life Savers Awards highlight how mobile phones have revolutionised the vital link between the public and the emergency services when minutes matter - now becoming an essential part of anyone’s first aid kit.

The entries which fought off competition from hundreds of other inspiring stories of bravery - was selected by a high-profile Judging Panel, which includes Falklands War veteran Simon Weston, model Nell McAndrew, actor Martin Kemp, TV personality Myleene Klass plus Vodafone and awards charity partner the Royal Humane Society.

Nick Read, Vodafone UK Chief Executive Officer said:  "The entries this year were truly inspiring and selecting just 11 National Life Savers from so many deserving stories was an extremely tough task."

Winners include Brian Dwyer and Anthony Bleetham from the Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance Service who saved the life of Jo Dawson when she lost control of her car and smashed into a tree.

Anthony, a hospital consultant who volunteers to work with Warwickshire and Northamptonshire Air Ambulance, and paramedic Brian were on the scene within minutes of the crash, but they found an apparently hopeless situation.

Jo Dawson's car was virtually wrapped around the tree and it was instantly apparent that she was very seriously injured. Unconscious and struggling to breathe, she was bleeding profusely from a head wound and her legs were trapped in the tangled metal.

The Fire Service was anxious to cut Jo free but Tony Bleetman knew the critically injured woman needed urgent treatment if she was to survive.

Crawling through the rear window of the car, he and Brian started work. First, they anaesthetised Jo so they could ventilate her artificially. They then found she had a collapsed lung and needed to open her chest to relieve the pressure and reinflate the lung. Suffering from massive blood loss, their patient needed intravenous fluids and drugs to stabilise her condition, which remained critical.

As Jo's life hung in the balance, the heroic medical team kept up their treatment for more than an hour, incredibly carrying out hospital level surgical procedures in the confines of the twisted wreckage.

When the fire service eventually freed her, Jo was carried to the air ambulance, where Brian rearranged the seats so he could maintain ventilation.

As they flew towards hospital, Jo went into cardiac arrest but, once more, the air ambulance team managed to resuscitate her and re-start her heart.

Jo Dawson went through 32 hours of surgery, which included an amputation, but she has made a good recovery and, one year on, is now ready to return to work.

There is no doubt at all that she would not have had this chance without the intervention of Anthony Bleetman and Brian Dwyer, who kept working, in exceptionally difficult conditions, as long as there was a possibility that they could save Jo Dawson's life.

For further information please contact:
Kate Polson or Amy Hemburrow
at Aspect Communications
on 020 8673 2020/07798 823687


Notes to Editors
About Vodafone UK
Vodafone UK has 16.3 million customers and is part of the world's largest mobile community offering a wide range of voice and data communications. The company is committed to providing mobile solutions that allow both consumer and business customers to make the most of now. In addition, Vodafone connects customers across the globe with roaming agreements worldwide. It provides 3G roaming in 18 countries and offers great roaming value with Vodafone Passport.  Vodafone UK was voted 13th Best Big Company to Work For in the Sunday Times Best Companies List, in March 2006.  For more information, please visit www.vodafone.co.uk.