Lifesaving defibrillator available in Barton

A new public access defibrillator has been installed at the Viking Centre in Barton, and is available 24/7 for the community to use in emergencies.

Defibrillators are used in life threatening situations, and give electric shocks to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. Anyone can use them and no special training is needed, which is why they are so important to communities.

Since being installed in February 2020, it has already been assigned to one 999 call.

Sarah Staves, who lives locally and is a Community Regeneration Assistant at the Viking Centre, said: “When someone is in cardiac arrest, you need to find a defibrillator as quick as possible, so being able to provide one is amazing for us.

“We’d like to say a huge thank you to Matthews and Tannert Ltd for donating the defibrillator, and to HFR Solutions CIC and customers in our community cafe for funding the case. We’re so pleased that by building strong partnerships, we can help make where we live safer.”

Mark Richardson, Marketing Manager at HFR Solutions CIC, commented: “We are delighted that our partnership with Ongo Homes has resulted in Barton and surrounding community having access to a community defibrillator.

“There is little doubt in my mind, this investment will have a significant impact on making the community safer and maximise the chances of survival for a casualty suffering from a cardiac arrest”.

To find out more about The Viking Centre and what they offer, click here.