A DEFIBRILLATOR has been installed at a village hall following a fundraiser in 2019.

Nearly two years on from raising £1,200 at the Bradpole Fete in November 2019, an automated external defibrillator and heated cabinet have been purchased and installed. The portable life saving device is located inside the heated cabinet on the wall of the Forster Memorial Village Hall on High Street in Bradpole.

The costs were split between the money raised at the fete and an additional £1,200 contributed by Bradpole Parish Council from council reserves.

Due to the pandemic beginning just months after the funds were raised, the process took longer than originally expected.

Defibrillators can restore a normal heartbeat by sending an electric pulse to the heart via the universal pad supplied. The pads can be used on children as well as adults.

The defibrillator is automated with clear step-by-step instructions.

In addition to this, the Parish Council will be arranging an automated external defibrillator training course in the near future.

In the event of needing the defibrillator residents are asked to telephone emergency services to be given the cabinet code for access.

The unit will be checked regularly by volunteers to ensure that it is fully charged and ready to use. The cabinet is fed by a dedicated electrical supply from the village hall and was installed by H Leaf and Sons Ltd and RN Stephenson Electrical Contractors Ltd free of charge.

On Wednesday, July 14 the installation of the defibrillator was celebrated by members of the Fete Committee.

The 2019 Bradpole Fete was the last to take place and did so with the intention of funding a village defibrillator.

The fete will not be taking place this year but it is hoped that there will be a fete in 2022.