The UK’s only registered charity of its kind Arrive Alive has donated its first community-accessible defibrillator to West Smethwick Park Pavilion in Sandwell earlier this month.
This donation is part of a wider programme from Sandwell Council to distribute defibrillators to over 10 locations.
With the support of community fundraising by Bernard Melvin, Vice Chair, and other members of The Friends of West Smethwick Park, an accessible defibrillator has been installed at the newly built pavilion. The pavilion is in the heart of the park which is a hive of activity for the local community hosting events, fitness classes and workshops for all ages.
The defibrillator has been registered on the circuit and could be the difference between life and death. 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests happen each year in the UK and 9 out of 10 are sadly fatal. This is the first of many defibrillators within communities that Arrive Alive will help to make a difference and save lives within communities.
Arrive Alive works directly to support frontline medically trained volunteers with vehicles and equipment. Following the launch of the charity, the founder Debbie Roscoe, who is a Midlands-based mother, has so far enabled eleven voluntary operated 999 vehicles to become operational in addition to various pieces of equipment, with more vehicles planned for the region subject to funding. Each Arrive Alive vehicle is dispatched to a medical emergency following a 999 call to West Midlands Ambulance Service.
Councillor Charn Singh Padda, Sandwell Council’s Cabinet Member for Leisure and Tourism, said:
“We are proud of our green spaces and parks and want everyone to be able to enjoy them. I want to thank the Arrive Alive and the Friends of West Smethwick Park for this initiative and hope that this may prove the first of many.”
Founder of Arrive Alive, Debbie Roscoe, added:
”It is an honour to be able to support West Smethwick Park Pavilion and the local community, with a publicly accessible defibrillator. Arrive Alive’s main aim as a charity is to save as many lives as possible in many ways from voluntary operated 999 vehicles to defibrillators. The support of the local community has been wonderful especially local resident Bernard Melvin who has been instrumental in developing the relationship between West Smethwick Park and Arrive Alive. We look forward to hosting one of our fundraising events at the newly built pavilion.”
Knowledge is power, Arrive Alive can also offer CPR training sessions to groups as it can be anyone at any age that can experience a cardiac arrest. Knowing how to effectively deliver CPR could help you to save a life. To find out more about how to book a CPR training session email Arrive Alive.