A quartet of councillors have donated more than £500 from their community grants to help to install life-saving equipment in Ordsall.
A new defibrillator has been fitted outside RT Fitness on West Carr Road by local charity Heart-Beats DN22, which is led by Retford resident Estelle Speirs who lost her father to a heart attack in December 2021.
If someone has a heart-attack, using a defibrillator within the first five minutes can increase their chances of survival from 6% to 74%.
Estelle, who is the Chair of Heart-Beats DN22, said: “I would like to thank the Retford councillors for donating towards the defibrillator. I started raising money to buy a defibrillator after my dad passed away following a cardiac arrest.
“I wanted to place one in memory of both my mum and dad, and through the volunteers at Heart-Beats, they have done a fantastic job in raising money and maintaining the defibrillators, which will increase the chances of survival for someone who has a heart attack.”
Bassetlaw Councillors including Cllr Dan Henderson, Cllr Harriet Digby, Cllr David Challinor and Cllr Graham Oxby donated £550 from their Community Councillor grants to ensure that Estelle met her fundraising target.
Cllr Dan Henderson, Ward Member for East Retford East said: Those of us who have family members or friends that have suffered cardiac arrest know first-hand the importance of having nearby accessible defibrillators. Without immediate intervention with a defibrillator, most cardiac arrests are fatal, and we are very proud to have donated funding for the installation of this life-saving equipment.
“Estelle and her team are working tirelessly to install and maintain defibrillators throughout Retford and it is important that they receive our continued support.”
Heart-Beats DN22 maintain 12 defibrillators in Retford and the surrounding villages to make sure everything is in full working and accessible order.
Heart-Beats DN22 also hold workshops to teach people of all ages about CPR and how to use a defibrillator in case of an emergency.
Defibrillators help increase the chances of survival. To find out where your nearest one is your area, visit www.defibfinder.uk where you can search by Town or Postcode.
Each Bassetlaw District Councillor is allocated a small budget and has the discretion to award grants to community activities that will benefit the community within their respective electoral ward areas. Councillors will consider grant applications for sports; culture and heritage; environment and sustainability; social welfare; and community activities.
To learn more about this funding, please visit the Councillor Community Grant section of www.bassetlaw.gov.uk
Last Updated on Wednesday, October 30, 2024