ILMINSTER NEWS: Life-saving defibrillator installed at Archie Gooch Pavilion

A POTENTIAL life-saving machine has been installed at the Archie Gooch Pavilion in Ilminster and fundraisers have thanked everyone who has supported the project.

It was only earlier this year that a group of friends in Ilminster decided to do some fundraising to pay for two public defibrillators to be placed in the town which could be used in the emergency of somebody suffering a cardiac arrest.

Now the first of the two defibrillators has been located at the newly-built Archie Gooch Pavilion at Britten’s Field.

“We would like to sincerely thank everyone who has got behind the scheme and supported us with both time and money,” said a spokesman for the organisers.

“We hope to have news on the installation of the second device very soon and this will be located in the town centre.”

A public training session on the use of the defibs, which is free of charge and available to all, has been arranged at the Shrubbery Hotel in Ilminster on Tuesday, November 29, 2016, at 7.30pm.

“We hope that this session is well supported and would also like to reassure those unable to attend that the defibs are very easy to use even without training because audible instructions are delivered automatically once the lid of the device has been lifted,” added the spokesman.

“You will also receive help and advice from Ambulance Service control room staff whenever an emergency call is made.”

The Ilminster Public Defibrillator scheme came about after local nurse Emma Rutter posted a simple question relating to the locations of public defibs on social media.

The response was amazing and despite having such a small fundraising team the town has managed to purchase two defibs in such a short space of time.

The fundraising team has been overwhelmed by the support they have received and is really proud to have been able to get the scheme up and running.

The defibs have been purchased on a four year lease from South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, and it is hoped that local support will continue during the time of the lease, so they can be renewed in four years.

The training session on November 29 at the Shrubbery Hotel will be run by staff from South Western Ambulance Service, and questions about the scheme and defibs are welcome.

Help will also be provided for anyone wanting to learn or refresh CPR skills.

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