People living in Meole, Shrewsbury, will benefit after the installation of a life-saving defibrillator.
The new device is located on an external wall at our Meole Community Hub in Maesbrook Road.
The defibrillator was donated by the Henry Angell-James Memorial Trust (HAJMT), a charity which was set up to provide Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) in the centre of towns, villages and rural communities across the West Midlands and beyond. Their mission is to help prevent lives being lost because immediate access to an AED is not available in a community.
Defibrillators give a high-energy electric shock to restart the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.
The defibrillator will be fully accessible to the public 24/7 and has been added to the National Defibrillator Network, known as The Circuit, where people can find their nearest equipment.
Chairman of the HAJMT, Sally Angell-James, said: “The Henry Angell-James Memorial Trust was delighted to donate a Public Access AED to the Community Hub on the Meole Estate. Installing it here was the idea of the Meole Village Community Group and the Meole Estate Community Action Group, so that it is easily accessible in the event of a cardiac arrest. This has been a team effort and in line with the ethos of the HAJMT.”
Samantha Allcott, Director of Housing for Homes Plus, said: “Early defibrillation can increase the chances of surviving a cardiac arrest dramatically. This could quite literally save lives in our community and that will make a real difference.
“We are pleased to have been able to support this initiative. This vital piece of equipment will increase the chances of survival for anybody who suffers a sudden cardiac arrest.”
The campaign to install a defibrillator came from the Meole Village Community Group and the Meole Estate Community Action Group (MECA), after they noticed that there was a need in the community.
Meole Ward Councillor Bernie Bentick said: “The number of heart attacks and cardiac arrests are increasing and MECA is very grateful to Sally and her charity, the Henry Angell-James Memorial Trust, for donating a defibrillator to Meole Estate to help save people’s lives. We’re also grateful to Homes Plus for installing the device on the wall of the Community Hub in Maescroft Road. Free training sessions will be organised over the next few months, to find out more please contact me by emailing bernie4meole@gmail.com or calling 07890 056177.”