ILMINSTER NEWS: Life-saving machine planned for Archie Gooch Pavilion

THERE are hopes that plans to install a new public defibrillator at the Archie Gooch Pavilion in Ilminster will be given the go-ahead.

Members of Ilminster Town Council meet this evening (Tuesday, September 20, 2016) to discuss a proposal put forward by Emma Jane Taylor.

A successful fundraising campaign held earlier this year resulted in enough money to buy two defibrillators which could – potentially – save the lives of people in the future who suffer a heart attack while out and about.

It is planned for one machine to situated somewhere in the town centre, but it would seem logical for the other to be placed at the new Archie Gooch Pavilion in Britten’s Field off Canal Way which will become a focal point for local sport alongside the Ilminster Recreation Ground.

Ms Taylor said: “After a very successful fundraising campaign two public access defibrillators have been leased from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust who will provide training, services and parts over a four-year period.

“They now need to be installed on the outside of two buildings – one to be located in the town centre and the other in the recreation area.

“The defibrillator group has approached the Ilminster Sports Club to ask if one of the public access defibrillators can be placed on the Archie Gooch Pavilion.

“The advice from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust is that the preferred location would be so the unit is visible as you drive into the car park area.”

Ms Taylor added: “The directors of Ilminster Sports Club are happy to agree to this request, but not that the lease states we need permission from the town council before securing anything to the outside of the building.

“Therefore I am writing to request permission from Ilminster Town Council for permission to put one of the public access defibrillators on the outside of the Archie Gooch Pavilion.”

It was earlier this year when a group of community-minded people started raising money to buy something for Ilminster which really could mean the difference between life and death.

And with just a couple of fundraising events and other donations they quickly raised enough money to buy two defibrillators – machines which can be used by members of the public on others who are suffering a heart attack.

The idea came about after nurse Emma Rutter was left surprised during her training when she discovered there were no public defibrillators in Ilminster.

So Emma and a group of friends – including Aimee Fitzpatrick, Helena Jones, Claire Kingdom, Sophie Story and Emma Jane Taylor – set about to put that right.

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 around £1,800.

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