CONGRATULATIONS - WE DID IT!

THANK YOU SO MUCH TO EVERYONE WHO HAS CONTRIBUTED, THE DEFIB AND CABINET ARE NOW ON ORDER!

We are all aware that the ambulance service response times are not ideal and it seems that there is quite an appetite to support a community defibrillator for the use of the Old Meadow residents.

A defibrillator is an advanced medical tool that delivers a high energy, electric shock to the heart through the chest wall. It is essential for those suffering a sudden cardiac arrest and can mean the difference between life and death.

It is most effective when administered within the first minutes of someone collapsing. If used within the first minute, the survival rate can be as high as 90%, showing that having a defibrillator close by makes a huge difference.

Anyone can use a defibrillator and you don’t need training. Once you turn it on, it will give clear instructions on how to attach the defibrillator pads. The device checks the heart rhythm and will only tell you to shock if it’s needed. You can't shock someone accidentally.

A small working group of residents has been set up to consider the most appropriate model to select, the best situation for the equipment and to help raise the funds. An information document outlining the research, findings and recommendations will be posted here shortly.

NEWS UPDATE

We recently applied for a British Heart Foundation grant and the great news is that we have been approved! This means we get a generous discount off our defibrillator and that we are much closer to completing the project. We hope we will all be done before Christmas. Thank you so much to everyone who has contributed, almost there!