Life saving defibrillator – ready for use!

Cresswell has just become a safer place to be for anyone with a heart condition. In a marvellous example of partnership, the local community, local charities and major authorities have all come together to make sure a public defibrillator is now available to residents – and it could save a life.
Soon, Draycott itself could have one too.

Big yellow box

If you have passed the information kiosk (the old telephone box) in the Cresswell lay-by recently, you’ll have noticed the big yellow box on there – that’s the casing for the defibrillator. To get at the defibrillator inside, you need a code, and that is provided once you call 999.
You don’t need training to use the machine as the defib ‘talks you through’ what you need to do.

Defibrillator cabinet in Cresswell Information Kiosk

A defibrillator is a piece of equipment which could be absolutely crucial if someone has a cardiac arrest – and this one is available for us to any member of the public.  For more information, and to find out about how one works, click here.

Partnership

What’s great about this whole project is the way that the Cresswell Community Group, which initiated the project and monitors it, managed to pull together so many people and organisations to make it happen.
It’s taken over a year to raise the funds (the whole project cost about £1500), and involved six different partners!!

•   The Cresswell Community Group managed to raise the £700 to fund and install the casing – mostly through donations from local residents and things like car-boot sales and pub-quizzes.
•   One of the biggest donations came from Kevin Reid’s team at the Cheadle & District Round Table.  Also contributing were Blythe Bridge and District Rotary Club.
•   BT has promised to pay for the electric supply to the defib in the kiosk for the next seven years.
•   The British Heart Foundation paid for half the debrillator itself.
•   The local ‘First Responders’ – especially Chad Bloor – supplied the advice and expertise for the whole project; and will continue to do the weekly checks and the training
•   Turtle Engineering actually did the physical work of the installation (they had to fit a left-hand-opening door on cabinet, because of the way the kiosk is set up).

It’s amazing to think how all these organisations were persuaded to come together to co-operate on this. The CCG deserves congratulations.
Shelagh Wood, of the CCG, told us: “It does look good in the phone box I have to admit! I have now supplied the ambulance service with some details of the box, so it is all up and running as of now. We will have an official opening-ceremony for the press etc later in the year, I will let everybody know the date when that might happen.”

‘Fulford First Responders’ also serve Draycott in the Moors

Our area’s ‘First Responders’ are very keen to get as many public defibrillators installed as possible, especially in villages that are remote from big population areas.   You may have seen more and more about – including one on the side of Blythe Bridge Library.
Draycott Sports Centre have recently stated up a drive to have one installed there, and the cricket club are thinking about it too. Some people have even wondered if the old kiosk opposite the Draycott Arms might be suitable for an installation too.  So – expect to see more of them soon!

Kiosk

The transformation of the old telephone kiosk into an information point was itself a pretty good initiative. The former county councillor for this area, Mike Maryon, provided much of the money for its refurbishment from his ‘Community Fund’.
It’s great to see such a successful piece of community action in practice.

The kiosk lives up to its ‘information point’ description, containing leaflets and bus timetables relevant to the district. Local businesses advertise there (they pay a small fee for that, which contributes to the maintenance costs), and there’s a even book-swap ‘library’!

Obviously, the kiosk is now open 24/7, so if you see anything funny going on there, don’t hesitate to call the police…

Community volunteering

If you live in Cresswell and fancy finding out more about the CCG, just contact Shelagh. The CCG regularly do community clean-ups, contribute to the Speedwatch effort, and maintain some flower boxes on Sandon Road too, so it’s not too much of a bother to volunteer to help.

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