Following a chance conversation between neighbours Barbara Homer and Keith Clayton there is now a defibrillator installed on the Waggoners Estate in Grayshott. They considered their experiences with delays waiting for ambulances to arrive and decided immediate access to a defibrillator (AED) just might save lives. After gathering a team and investigating opportunities from The Community Heartbeat Trust they organised funding. The majority of residents on the 106 property estate kindly made a personal donation and much appreciated considerable donations were received via Councillor Grants from Cllr Tom Hanrahan of East Hampshire District Council and Cllr Debbie Curnow-Ford of Hampshire County Council. One resident has kindly agreed for the AED in a code-locked cabinet to be installed on their wall and connected to their electricity supply.
Cllr Curnow-Ford, Barbara Homer, Keith Clatson, Cllr Tom Hanrahan
The charity The Community Heartbeat Trust have supplied the largest number of AED’s to communities, often found in old telephone boxes. Fast access to an AED following cardiac arrest considerably improves chances of survival. The residents of the Waggoners Estate have raised sufficient funding to maintain and insure their equipment for at least five years and our councillors have supported the scheme because they know it could save lives. No matter the circumstances of the residents on the estate, most have visitors of all ages and any medical incident could happen to anyone at any time, including to young children. It is registered with the ambulance services, checked and reported on each week. A training session for 40 residents has taken place, although the machine has video pictures and loud clear verbal instruction so that it can be used by anybody. It will be the closest AED should an incident occur locally, including at Waggoners Wells Ponds. Anyone who feels a defibrillator could be needed should call 999 for advice and be given the access code, a process that operates throughout the country. Just like a first aid kit or a spare wheel, we all hope the AED won’t be needed, but it does give great peace of mind.
Keith and Barbara hope that their experience could help other groups of neighbours to obtain a defibrillator in their locality.
