A life-saving defibrillator has been installed at the Holyoake Communal Room in South Pelaw, Chester-le-Street for the local community should they need to use one in the case of an emergency.
The unit has been purchased and installed thanks to a joint effort by local residents, Councillor Tracie Smith and ourselves.
The idea of getting a defibrillator installed was initiated by two of our residents, Ann Potts and Janet Ather. They were involved in securing 50% funding from Cllr. Tracie Smith and we were more than happy to fund the remaining project. Electricians from our team also wired the storage box and fixed it to the wall of the communal room.
A defibrillator is a life-saving piece of equipment that can be used to help someone suffering cardiac arrest – that is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly.
A person’s chance of survival decreases by around 10% for every minute where defibrillation is delayed. Unfortunately, CPR alone is not enough and it’s vital that a defibrillator is on a person’s chest within minutes to give them a fighting chance.
The unit, which has been installed to the outside of the building and is clearly visible from the main road, is available for the whole community to use in the case of an emergency.
Paul Hadden, Community Connector said: “A defibrillator can be the difference between life and death for some people. In Bournmoor, we already have a defibrillator installed at one of our other communal rooms so when we heard that Janet and Ann, alongside Cllr. Tracie Smith were looking for assistance to get one installed here at Holyoake, we were more than happy to get involved.
"In addition to providing the remaining funding to purchase the unit, Karbon’s electricians have installed the unit and we are committed to providing the ongoing costs and maintenance. Let’s hope it never gets used but the local community can rest assured that should they ever need to access one, this one is available for everybody to use.”
Cllr. Tracie Smith, said: “I am pleased to see this life saving piece of equipment installed at the Holyoake Communal Room. My aim is to raise awareness to the local community that it is here and to educate residents how to use it. I’m also very keen to involve and educate the children living on the estate and involve the local school.”
Resident Ann Potts, said: “South Pelaw Residents Association are delighted this project has come to fruition, and if it helps one person, it will have been worthwhile.”
We have registered the unit with the British Heart Foundation, accessible by the North East Ambulance Service. If it is needed, anyone can go to it and follow the instructions on the box. Simply call the number and a code will be given to access the equipment. The defibrillator gives step-by-step instructions along with 999 operators.
If the system gets used, it will flag up on their system where it will be resupplied with whatever equipment has been used.
A life-saving defibrillator has been installed at the Holyoake Communal Room in South Pelaw, Chester-le-Street for the local community should they need to use one in the case of an emergency.
The unit has been purchased and installed thanks to a joint effort by local residents, Councillor Tracie Smith and ourselves.
The idea of getting a defibrillator installed was initiated by two of our residents, Ann Potts and Janet Ather. They were involved in securing 50% funding from Cllr. Tracie Smith and we were more than happy to fund the remaining project. Electricians from our team also wired the storage box and fixed it to the wall of the communal room.
A defibrillator is a life-saving piece of equipment that can be used to help someone suffering cardiac arrest – that is when the heart malfunctions and suddenly stops beating unexpectedly.
A person’s chance of survival decreases by around 10% for every minute where defibrillation is delayed. Unfortunately, CPR alone is not enough and it’s vital that a defibrillator is on a person’s chest within minutes to give them a fighting chance.
The unit, which has been installed to the outside of the building and is clearly visible from the main road, is available for the whole community to use in the case of an emergency.
Paul Hadden, Community Connector said: “A defibrillator can be the difference between life and death for some people. In Bournmoor, we already have a defibrillator installed at one of our other communal rooms so when we heard that Janet and Ann, alongside Cllr. Tracie Smith were looking for assistance to get one installed here at Holyoake, we were more than happy to get involved.
"In addition to providing the remaining funding to purchase the unit, Karbon’s electricians have installed the unit and we are committed to providing the ongoing costs and maintenance. Let’s hope it never gets used but the local community can rest assured that should they ever need to access one, this one is available for everybody to use.”
Cllr. Tracie Smith, said: “I am pleased to see this life saving piece of equipment installed at the Holyoake Communal Room. My aim is to raise awareness to the local community that it is here and to educate residents how to use it. I’m also very keen to involve and educate the children living on the estate and involve the local school.”
Resident Ann Potts, said: “South Pelaw Residents Association are delighted this project has come to fruition, and if it helps one person, it will have been worthwhile.”
We have registered the unit with the British Heart Foundation, accessible by the North East Ambulance Service. If it is needed, anyone can go to it and follow the instructions on the box. Simply call the number and a code will be given to access the equipment. The defibrillator gives step-by-step instructions along with 999 operators.
If the system gets used, it will flag up on their system where it will be resupplied with whatever equipment has been used.
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