New defib installed at Bemerton Heath after community effort
Local residents and the City Council have secured the machine
A new defibrillator's been installed in Bemerton Heath in Salisbury, following a community effort to have one available for the area.
It's been put up outside the Bemerton Heath Centre in Pinewood Way with the support of local residents and the City Council.
Half of the cost for the device has been donated by an anonymous resident.
Spencer Mulholland, a local volunteer, approached the City Council to ask for the kit and said:
“I'm coordinating the grant, and we were lucky to be donated half the cost of this defibrillator by a very generous member of the public, who I wish to thank sincerely. That donation will ultimately save lives."
Cllr Caroline Corbin, Chair for the Community Services Committee and councillor for the Bemerton Heath Ward, said:
“A community defibrillator is an asset to any community and with or without training are fairly easy to use. We have been fortunate in Salisbury that Spencer Mulholland has been a spearhead for this project and asked me where in Bemerton Heath could be good sites.
"I suggested our own building as with community groups etc it’s important to be able to access lifesaving equipment at the time of need, without having to hunt around for the nearest device. Community empowerment and team work at its finest.”
Winterbury Training will be offering defibrillator information sessions at the Bemerton Heath Centre next Friday (14th February) at 3.30pm and on Tuesday 18th February at 6.00pm.
Anyone who wants to attend can just turn up.
Sarah Gregson, Head of Community Services at Salisbury City Council, said:
“The Bemerton Heath Centre is a real hub for the community, lots of groups of all ages come here on a regular basis, so this is somewhere people are familiar with and they're going to know where this defibrillator is.
“We also have a great relationship with all the young people who walk to and from school, so it's just a real key point. Everybody's going to know where they can get hold of this vital support if they need it.”
British Heart Foundation research shows that 'public access defibrillators were available within 500m of a cardiac arrest in 79% of cases, but only used in 10%'.
If used within the first minute, the survival rate can be as high as 90%.
The City Council is looking to get more defibs to be installed locally, with Spencer already working on the next project.
We can email him with location ideas and fundraising suggestions on [email protected]