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Local Community Comes Together To Install Life Saving Equipment

Local Community Comes Together To Install Life Saving Equipment

A public-access defibrillator has been installed outside Wathall’s funeral directors in Duffield Road, Allestree, following a community fundraising appeal.

The equipment is registered with East Midlands Ambulance Service and anyone alerting the emergency services to a suspected cardiac arrest is provided with an access code for the defibrillator if appropriate.

The £1,600 fundraising campaign to buy and install the equipment was spearheaded by city councillor for Allestree, Steve Hassall, whose sister tragically died from a heart attack earlier this year.

Cllr Hassall explained:

“We wanted to do something positive in her memory and asked around as to where we needed to install a defibrillator in the local area.

“The A6 Duffield Road was deemed the best location and we are grateful that Wathall’s agreed to have the equipment installed at the front of their office.

The community fundraising appeal was supported by Hannell’s estate agents whose managing director Michael Brain is a former first responder and trauma responder.

He said: “Defibrillators can make a vital difference in the outcomes of someone suffering a cardiac arrest so the more public-access equipment available in our local communities – the better.”

Helen Wathall MBE, who is the fifth generation of her family to run the company, concluded:

“Many people’s lives are affected by cardiac arrest and we were only too happy to support the installation of the defibrillator which could very well make the difference in such an emergency situation.

“Although we are relative newcomers to the Allestree - we have been incredibly impressed with the strength of community spirit in this area and are not surprised that local people so readily came forward to raise the necessary funds to buy this equipment for their area.”

Picture shows, from left: Cllr Steve Hassall, Hannell’s area director Nicola Barnard and  Wathall’s Allestree branch manager Amanda Howitt.


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