When a village defibrillator needed replacing the community rallied around so much it’s now set up a fund to support two defibrillators and anything else it will desperately need.
Scapegoat Hill has defibrillators outside Scapegoat Hill Junior and Infant School and also on an exterior wall at Scapegoat Hill Liberal Club.
The club’s defibrillator has been used three times this year and during one emergency it was discovered the one at the school needed urgent replacement.
When a defibrillator is used it’s out of action while the pads are replaced and the machine is recalibrated.
Research on the internet showed a charity called Defibrillators Save Lives who managed to get them a brand new defibrillator for £690 which is around half the usual price.
As a charity it can access government grants and has direct links with manufacturers.
The quick work to sort out fundraising for the defibrillator was done on GoFundMe by Scape school teaching assistants Claire Lodge and Sara Senior along with villager Danielle Parker and the fund now stands at almost £1,500.
Danielle said: “We’ve used the defibrillator that’s on the club wall three times this year and it’s saved a life on each occasion. The defibrillators are on outside walls so anyone can use them in an emergency, perhaps if someone collapses at home or work nearby, so it’s important people know where the nearest, easily accessible defibrillator is and can get to it quickly.”
Claire said: “When the village realised this money was needed urgently for the defibrillator the response was both rapid and amazing with the money to replace the one at the school raised in a day.
“With the defibrillator at the club being used, each time that happens it needs new pads so the fund will also pay for those too.”
The defibrillator at the club was provided with money from the former Scape Band and Calder Lifting Services Ltd engineering company in Heckmondwike owned by Nettleton Hill resident Gareth Morgan.
The band folded several years ago but had been greatly helped in its early years by Scapegoat Hill Liberal Club which is why they wanted to make a donation to the club.
Gareth took a real interest in sorting out a defibrillator for the club wall and it’s a special pediatric one so can be used on young children right through to adults.
It’s all automatic, easy to operate and is even in a heated cabinet.
Gareth said: “I did a lot of research into the defibrillator and wanted to make sure it was the very best we could get for the village. It’s a fantastic piece of kit.”
The village of Nettleton Hill across moorland from Scape is quite isolated. A defibrillator there would cost around £900, including a cabinet.
Defibrillator batteries need changing every five years and they now cost £380 each.
To add to the fund go to https://www.gofundme.com/f/scapegoat-hill-defib
Pictured with the new defibrillator outside Scapegoat Hill Junior and Infant School are Defibrillators Save Lives chairman Scott Woodhead (right) and vice-chairman Dave Sedgwick with school teaching assistants Claire Lodge (second right) and Sara Senior.
Written by ANDY HIRST who runs his own Yorkshire freelance journalism agency AH! PR (https://ah-pr.com/) specialising in press releases, blogging, website content, copywriting and ghost-writing autobiographies.
