THE Welsh Ambulance Service is paying tribute to the millions of volunteers across the globe as part of International Volunteer Day.

Almost 600 volunteers give up their time to support the ambulance service in Wales, including 460 community first responders and 110 volunteer car service drivers.

Volunteer drivers use their own vehicles to transport people to routine hospital appointments, including dialysis, oncology and outpatient appointments.

In 2022/23, they made 48,150 journeys across Wales and covered more than 1.5 million miles – the equivalent of driving to the Moon and back, not once but three times.

Eirian Williams, a former police officer and professional snooker referee, started volunteering for WAS in 2008.

He said: “I loved my professional snooker career, but the completion calendar meant I also had a lot of time off, especially over the summer months.

“I was chatting to a friend who suggested I try volunteering, and another friend said the ambulance service were taking on – the rest, as they say, is history.”

Mr Williams retired from Dyfed Powys Police in 1993.

“It’s mostly appointments in Wales that I take patients to, but I’ve been as far as Liverpool, Birmingham, Bristol and Great Ormond Street Hospital in London,” he said.

“You meet some interesting people, but my philosophy is to wait for them to start the conversation because you never know if someone wants some time to reflect if they’re going to an important appointment.

“You don’t have to be available every day of the week, but if your lifestyle means that you often have time on your hands, come and join us and give back to the community.”