Defibrillator Update

When we formed the association, residents asked why we don’t have a defib on site. Defibrillators are life-saving so we prioritised looking into this.

First off, we contacted the Health and Safety Executive for official guidance. They recommend that businesses get defibrillators where there’s a higher risk of cardiac arrest. They went on to say that, although there’s no legal obligation for businesses to provide defibs, they should consider them as part of their overall health and safety obligations.

We asked Royale about this but they replied to say the company's policy is not to supply defibrillators. However, they did offer to install one if we supply it. Bearing in mind the age demographic of the park, the remoteness and the poor response times within our ambulance trust - we think a defibrillator is essential. So, we had to look elsewhere.

We found a charity called London Hearts. They buy defibs in bulk then sell them on to higher-risk settings like ours with a discount. We made an application and they’ve offered us £300 off. So, that’s a brand new defibrillator and external cabinet at a discounted price of £1195.00. Next up - raising the funds!

We’re delighted to say we’ve already received £181.38 from park resident Chris who ran a raffle at his Jubilee street party and £50 of donations for work carried out by the Helping Hands team. We’ve also had a £500 donation from Unite Union, kindly facilitated by park resident Denise Rayner. This leaves us just under £500 to go.

In a final push to reach our target, some residents are putting on a fundraising karaoke/disco night in the clubhouse on Saturday 30 July, so thanks to everyone involved.

We also invited local Councillor Jeff Henry to our committee meeting on 23 June. Jeff agrees that defibrillators are essential on our site. So, he’s offered to try and get hold of another one at no cost to us. Having two will ensure all residents have close access. I’m sure you’ll all agree, this is amazing news. We’ll crack on with purchasing the first unit after the fundraising event in July. Then we’ll ask Royale to arrange installation. Finally, although modern defibs are foolproof and designed to be used without any training, we think it will be helpful to arrange for someone to come to the site to give residents a demo.