ILMINSTER NEWS: Fundraising project could save lives in the future

A GROUP of community-minded people will be raising money tomorrow (Friday, April 1, 2016) to buy something for Ilminster which really could mean the difference between life and death.

They are hoping to raise enough money to buy two automated external defibrillators – machines which can be used by members of the public on others who are suffering a heart attack.

The idea came about after trainee nurse Emma Rutter, who is in the third year of training, wondered if there were any AEDs in Ilminster having been taught about advanced life support in the hospital and out in the community.

“In training we are told to ask a bystander to go and collect the nearest AED while we perform CPR and it got me thinking about where they were in Ilminster or if we had any at all,” she told the Ilminster Press.

Although there are some in medical practices in the town – they are not easily accessible in the event of an emergency or out-of-office hours.

So Emma and a group of friends – Aimee Fitzpatrick, Helena Jones, Claire Kingdom, Sophie Storey and Emma Jane Taylor - are to hold a number of fundraising events to raise money to buy two defibrillators with one to be located at the new Archie Gooch Pavilion in Britten’s Field and one somewhere in a town centre location.

“Ilminster is a rural area and you could potentially be waiting for a long time before an ambulance arrives, due to no fault of the Ambulance Service, and every second counts when someone is having a cardiac arrest.

“Having an AED nearby would be beneficial to the community of Ilminster – although I would hope it would never be needed.”

But the reality is – a defibrillator could well be needed.

“It was mostly down to my curiosity which highlighted the need for a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week accessible AED and the kind people of Ilminster have volunteered and offered to support in fundraising,” added Emma.

A cake sale will be held at the Tesco store in Shudrick Lane, Ilminster, from 9am to 2pm tomorrow (Friday, April 1, 2016) where tickets will also be available for a raffle.

The raffle will be drawn later tomorrow evening at 8pm at the Royal Oak pub in Ditton Street which will coincide with live music from the band Under the Counter.

An 80s Disco Night is planned to be held at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster on May 21 and all 300 tickets for that fundraising event had already been sold.

If a defibrillator is used and effective CPR is performed on a patient within three to five minutes of cardiac arrest, survival chances increase from six per cent to 74 per cent!

When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chances of survival by between seven and ten per cent.

Each machine costs £1,800 so every penny will count in the fundraising.

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