Unfortunately the defibrillator at Taylor Park was stolen on the evening of Friday 15th December. The defibrillator had only recently been installed in memory of Carl Foster and Carl's family and friends who had fund-raised for this are obviously really upset.

Having lost Carl following a cardiac arrest in April, the installation of a defibrillator at Taylor Park was seen as not only a lasting tribute to Carl but also an important facility for the West Park community. The hope was that tragedy could be prevented through access to this life-saving device.

We are now fund-raising again to replace the defibrillator and the public access box it was stored in that was also damaged. We will work with the local council once more to install the replacement. The police have been notified of the theft.

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Info from the orginal Just Giving page:

Our much-loved friend and colleague Carl Foster sadly passed away on the 19th April 2023 at the age of 45.

Carl lived his life to the full, surrounded by those he loved the most, his wife, family, friends and dog.

His compassion, kindness and sense of adventure will be missed for many years to come.

Carl loved helping people, so although we are all grieving, we have decided to honour his memory by Carl continuing to help others. We are trying to raise £1500 for a Public Access Defibrillator (in a location yet to be confirmed).

For those who don’t know about Defibs (taken from St Johns Ambulance website):

What is an automated external defibrillator (AED)?

An Automated External Defibrillator (AED) is a portable life saving device that can give a casualty’s heart an electric shock, when it has stopped beating normally in a sudden cardiac arrest.

A defibrillator works by checking the casualty's heart rhythm once the defibrillator pads are placed on their chest and giving them a shock if needed.

By using a defibrillator before an ambulance arrives, you can significantly increase someone’s chance of survival.

When should you use a defibrillator?

Defibrillators are used to treat someone in cardiac arrest. A cardiac arrest is when someone’s heart has stopped beating normally and they are unresponsive and not breathing.

Why is using a defibrillator important?

A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone. Every year approximately 55 out of every 100,000 people experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, with most occurring in the home or workplace. In 7 out of 10 cases, CPR is attempted by a bystander. In less than 1 out of 10 cases, a public access defibrillator (AED) is reported as being used.

A bystander performing CPR and using an automated external defibrillator (AED) can increase the chances of survival by two to four-fold.