14/04/20 

A homeless man's life was saved by two redeployed Cardiff Council officers who rushed to give first aid when the man collapsed and stopped breathing. 

Both officers had temporarily volunteered to take up posts with the Hostels and Outreach team as part of the council's redeployment project to ensure frontline services continue to operate in the face of the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Val Broomfield and Ashley Evans redeployed from office-based roles with the Legal Department and the Tenancy Sustainment Team only threeweeks ago. They quickly administered CPR, which revived the man. 

"It all happened so fast and is very different to what we do in our regular jobs. We did what anyone else would have done and are just so pleased he was OK in the end. We are happy to be able to help vulnerable people through the covid crisis," said Ashley Evans. 

Cabinet Member for Housing and Communities Cllr Lynda Thorne said: "It would have been a challenging situation for any Hostel and Outreach worker used to working in this area. For two individuals coming from such different work backgrounds to act so quickly, while remaining calm and saving the life of a client shows real heroism and dedication to helping our service users no matter the situation."

Cardiff Council has so far redeployed 350workers to frontline positions ensuring services for vulnerable people and those in need continue to run.