Martin was a highly respected man both publicly and within the East of England Ambulance Service. He served as a Community First Responder and Trainer, selflessly helping others and consistently placing the welfare of the community above his own.

In 2018, Martin began to support his local community. His vision was simple but powerful: to give back to the community through high-quality first aid provision, training, and support — always delivered on a not-for-profit basis and always with integrity at its core.

In October 2022, Martin suffered a sudden and unexpected cardiac arrest. Despite best efforts, he sadly passed away. His loss was felt deeply by many — colleagues, friends, and the communities he had dedicated his life to serving.

Following Martin’s passing, those close to him continued his work with one clear aim: to ensure his legacy lived on and that the values he stood for — professionalism, compassion, and accountability — remained at the heart of everything we do.

With what Martin doing evolved, it became clear that the best way to protect Martin’s legacy and the communities we serve was to take a leap. We wanted governance, leadership structures, and clear standards around safeguarding, accountability, and operational practice. We decided to launch Richards Medical Community Trust to honour Martin properly by ensuring his original vision continues in a way that is transparent, compliant, and worthy of the trust placed in us.

Today, we remain firmly committed to the principles Martin founded the charity on: community service, not-for-profit delivery, high standards of care, and putting people first — always. We will always have Martins core beliefs at the forefront of everything we do.