Fundraising success leads to defibrillator for West Dorset village

James Irvine and Debbie Veitch have led a community effort to bring the lifesaving piece of equipment to the village of Abbotsbury.

The defibrillator will be put up outside Strangways Village Hall after permission was granted by the Hon Charlotte Townsend.

James, a postman and trainer for the Royal Lifesaving Society, has led sessions teaching residents about the defibrillator using a training kit.

He said: “It’s been good. The courses we have run have been nice intimate courses.”

Each session has seen around 10 people turn up.

James said each attendee had left feeling confident with their new skills.

He said: “I said I would do some training sessions throughout November. If we found we were inundated after Christmas I said we’d do some more.”

Public access defibrillators can be used on someone in cardiac arrest. They provide a high energy electric shock which may help to restore a more stable rhythm.

The British Heart Foundation state after a cardiac arrest every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces someone’s chance of survival by 10 per cent. Performing CPR and having access to a defibrillator are the next best ways to help someone who’s had a cardiac arrest after calling 999.

James, who has delivered mail in the village for more than 25 years, said: “The longer it takes to get the defibrillator to them the less chance of survival.

“As opposed to doing CPR for 25 minutes (people) can use the defibrillator straight away from here.”

James and Debbie came up with the idea for a defibrillator just over a year ago.

James said: “Debbie did the funding and the paperwork for getting it.

“My job was once we got the defibrillator I would pitch in and do the training.”

The defibrillator cost in the region of £1,200. The community were required to raise £400, something that everyone pitched in for, according to James.

For more information about how to apply for a public access defibrillator visit bhf.org.uk