Tuesday 22nd September 2015 – 2.30pm – Claire Brown.
A hamlet in Worcestershire had a ‘shock’ from the ambulance service during a fundraising breakfast earlier this month.
The small hamlet of Harpley held its annual fundraising breakfast at St Bartholomews Church on Saturday 12th September to raise funds for a good cause. This year, the church decided to raise money to help purchase an automated external defibrillator; a device used to help restart the heart of someone in cardiac arrest.
Ben Rean, a Worcester University Student Paramedic currently working with West Midlands Ambulance Service, recently got married at the Church and was keen to support the event by bringing along a senior ambulance manager to talk more about the benefit of defibrillators. Following a hearty breakfast, the 80 attendees were literally shocked when the ambulance manager presented the hamlet with their very own device for free. The money raised at the breakfast will now, instead, go towards a secure defibrillator box to house the lifesaving device.
Adam Layland, one of the Trust’s Senior Operations Managers, donated the defibrillator on behalf of the service’s Pride Network. Adam said: “You really gather a sense of community spirit in Harpley, they worked extremely hard to raise funds and I am really pleased to grant their wish of having their own defibrillator here.”
Liz Young, a Harpley Fundraiser said: “We are so grateful to The Pride Network and WMAS for supporting us, we are astounded to have received this defibrillator. Thank you very much.”
ENDS
Pictured (L-R): Liz Young, Adam Layland and Ben Rean.