Monday 29th February 2016 – 11.40am – Chris Kowalik.
A village in south Staffordshire now has its own defibrillator thanks to the work of its local Community First Responders and three generous donations.
The piece of lifesaving equipment is now mounted to the front of Moss Grove Surgery in Kinver.
Pictured above: Gavin Williamson MP, Jean Morgan
Jean Morgan, a Community First Responder with the South Staffordshire scheme said: “We were sitting talking in the car last summer in between calls and we said ‘hey let’s just go out there and raise this money and get a defibrillator’. We had three big donations from Rotary Club of Kinver, Kinver Country Fayres Ltd., David Bills MBE and Jane Bills.
“We also had collecting tins around the place and we shook a tin during the Christmas lights switch-on. Folks were very generous because by then they had heard that we were trying to raise the money to buy this defibrillator.
“Not only were we able to buy the defibrillator, we will have some money left over to tend and care for it for many years.”
At its formal unveiling last Friday, Gavin Williamson MP said: “I’m hoping I won’t be asked to use it! But to have such an important piece of lifesaving equipment right in the heart of Kinver is so vital because those minutes that it could save in terms of making sure that people have lifesaving treatment and equipment near to them can mean the difference between life and death.
“Thank you to all those who contributed and who made this happen.”
Pictured above, standing left-to-right: Jane Bills, Roger Stephenson (Past President, Rotary Club of Kinver), Jane Sadler (Chairman, Kinver Country Fayres Ltd.). Kneeling left-to-right: Jean Morgan (Community First Responder), Gavin Williamson MP, Mick Leadbetter (Community First Responder)
Ends.
Notes to Editors:
Do not replace “cardiac arrest” with “heart attack”.
Community First Responders are everyday members of the public trained by West Midlands Ambulance Service. They volunteer to respond to medical emergencies in their area while a blue-light ambulance is en-route.
A defibrillator is a device that could restart the heart of someone who suffers a cardiac arrest.