Describe your best practice
We acquired funding to set up a community defibrillator in the centre of our town. Two community Information/Training sessions were organised and we have introduced collection tins in local shops to fund the future replacement of the defibrillator and new pads when used.
What did you do and why?
A co-ordinator raised the issue that we didn’t have a defibrillator in our town centre. I sourced advice from a Community Responder, researched where we could get a defibrillator from and sources of funding. By chance funding came from our Lions Club, a local social welfare organization, and a local church bought the collection tins. Permission was gained from the local church, who own the building in the town centre, to position the defibrillator on the wall. Local residents agreed to do weekly status checks to ensure the machine was working.
Amazingly, 17 local shops and businesses agreed to have defibrillator collection tins on their premises that are collected every six months. Two residents count and bank the money in a Community Defibrillator Fund.
Duration of the project
Defibrillator was installed April 2017. On going.
What worked well?
Once the issue of a Community Defibrillator was raised it was supported by the local community and still is via the collection tins and donations.
Sixty-four residents attended Information/Training CPR sessions, which was brilliant.
The defibrillator is situated in the centre of our town and since it was set up it has been called upon 4 times.
How did you overcome any challenges?
Funding to buy the defibrillator and cabinet was made a lot easier by a chance contact I made with our local Lions Club who suggested that they would buy both, otherwise it would have taken quite a while to collect the amount of money needed. Finding a good logo for the posters, and labels for the collection tins, was a challenge for me, but once I had one I printed off all the posters and labels needed, and still do.
Because the whole community was, and is, behind the project permission to place it was not a problem and it is still supported and recognised as a positive thing for our community to have.
How did you cover any costs?
Funding for the defibrillator and its Box, plus the cost of the electrician to connect it, came from our local Lions Club who offered to pay for it and asked if they could have a very small plaque added to reflect this.
Information/Training and CPR sessions were free from our Ambulance Service as part of the arrangement for anyone who bought a defibrillator from their organisation.
The Methodist Church allowed us to use their church for the two sessions at no cost as it was for a Community Defib.
Which main category does this fall into?
Developing Your Watch
Force/ Borough area
Leicestershire