THE Inwardleigh and Folly Gate fundraising committee has successfully obtained two new defibrillators from the British Heart Foundation. 

The first of these life-saving pieces of equipment will be installed in Inwardleigh and will be located in the village phonebox. The second will be installed in Folly Gate, however the location is yet to be confirmed. 

Carol Timms, chair of the Inwardleigh and Folly Gate fundraising committee, said: ‘We applied to the British Heart Foundation and were overjoyed when we received an email saying they would provide us with both defibrillators as well as some training equipment. We are very grateful to the British Heart Foundation and in return the committee will give a donation to the charity.

‘One of the defibrillators will be placed in the Inwardleigh phonebox and the second location in Folly Gate is yet to be finalised. We are waiting to hear back from the parish council to find out whether the Folly Gate phonebox can be adopted. Until the parish council has its next meeting in March. We cannot confirm where the second defibrillator will be installed.

‘With the money raised and donated to the fundraising committee, we will be paying for the installation, maintenance and up-keep of the defibrillators as well as funding the defibrillator and CPR training for the people of the parish.

‘The committee raises money by hosting various events. We do an annual fete, country fair, regular bingo nights, a fish and chip event and prize draws including a Christmas and Easter draw.’

Some of the money raised by the committee will go towards installation, maintenance and insurance of the defibrillators as well as training people how to use them.

A defibrillator gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest and is an essential life-saving step in the chain of survival. Around 30,000 people have a cardiac arrest each year outside the confines of a hospital. The chance of survival after the heart stops falls by around 10% for every minute that passes without defibrillation, which is vital as it can take the emergency services several minutes, or possibly longer, to arrive.

There will be a defibrillator and CPR training session on Thursday, March 16 at Folly Gate Village Hall.

To book your space on the training course or to find out more call Carol Timms on 01837 52286 or Lucie Hooper on 01837 52070.