Today the village of Chideock is celebrating having its own defibrillator which was available from Tuesday 6 December at 12 noon when Chairman of the Parish Council, Roger Carey ‘cut the ribbon’ and declared it operational. It is positioned in the centre of the village beside The George Inn on the main A35 trunk road.
Chideock WI launched the initiative last year and members of the community have come together to take the project forward. The defibrillator and cabinet were provided through a grant from the British Heart Foundation and additional funding was provided by Chideock WI, The Chideock Village Trust, Chideock Society, Chideock Website and members of the local community. Palmers Brewery have kindly funded the installation of the equipment.
Every year 30,000 people in the UK have an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, but the survival rate is less than 1 in 10. The British Heart Foundation is on a mission to change that by creating a Nation of Lifesavers – a nation where everyone knows how to save a life. They have also awarded Chideock a package of equipment to provide CPR training to the community so that as many people as possible in the village gain defibrillator awareness and learn hands-only lifesaving skills by watching a video and practising on manikins. Training will be in the Village Hall, led by Helen Long our local First Responder. There will be two sessions on Tuesday 10 January – one at 2.30 pm and one at 6.00 pm. Free tea, coffee and biscuits will be served. We hope to make it a fun session and will be watching a short video then practising CPR on manikins. Even if you cannot get down on your hands and knees (or get up again!) to carry out CPR it is good to know what it’s all about and perhaps be able to direct someone else.
More information from: Mary Rogers stonefarmcottage@btinternet.com
