A new scheme aimed at making live-saving defibrilators more accessible across Weston has been launched. The Donate For Defib Weston-Super-Mare Project is currently in the process of fundraising and installing defibrillators across the town.
The scheme was established by Dean Phillips and Josh Bell along with Tom Farrand and other volunteers. The idea for the scheme came to be after Dean who is a barber at Sweeny Todd's Barbers, sadly lost a customer after they suffered a cardiac arrest in a local pub in Weston and a defibrillator wasn’t accessible.
Their aim is to raise funds for defibrillators to be publicly accessible outside public houses, hotels, restaurants, community centres, health centres and surgeries, church's, village halls, and gyms in Weston. They currently have around 60 various locations that are interested in supporting the scheme and fundraising and purchasing a defibrillator for their location.
The scheme is working in partnership with Great Western Air Ambulance Charity (GWAAC) and all the defibrillators will be registered with The Circuit App for the local and national Ambulance Services to be made aware of where defibrillators are located.
Josh Bell from the Donate For Defib Weston-super-Mare Project said "Our aim is to reduce avoidable and needless deaths through our goal that anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest will receive immediate CPR and then defibrillation within five minutes. Each 1-minute delay decreases a persons survival chances by 10 percent, so defibrillators need to be close by, publicly available, and used."
So far over £10,000 has been raised for the scheme through donations.
Joe Hughes from Great Western Air Ambulance Chairity said "Every £1700 raised will fund a defibrillator, a locked and heated cabinet to protect the battery over the colder winter months, and access to training in how to use it alongside bystander CPR. Please donate generously to this essential initiative, which will help people suffering a cardiac arrest are given the best chance on their worst day"
If you would like to donate to the scheme or find out more about their work you can do so here
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