IN EARLY 2017 and with a 40th birthday approaching at the end of the year, Anita Fisher wanted to host a birthday party but at the same time raise money for a local worthy cause — she chose to fundraise for a defibrillator to be sited in her parents’ hometown, Clawton.

After a night out in December 1999, Anita’s brother Richard, a few weeks away from his 18th birthday, died from Sudden Adult Death Syndrome (SADS). A defibrillator was used, but unfortunately be the time a first responder reached him it was too late.

Anita said: “As my parents live in Clawton, I recognised that Clawton was one of the few villages locally still in need of a defibrillator, so therefore decided to ask for donations in lieu of a defibrillator in memory of my brother, Richard.

“I was lucky that Clawton Parish Hall committee had also recognised the need for a defibrillator and with this they decided to organise a tractor funride run, held in June 2017.”

The tractor run raised £823 and Anita was able to raise a further £1,300 from donations at her party.

In December last year, the defibrillator was installed outside the parish hall and on Wednesday. February 27, a number of local residents came together for the first South West Ambulance Service training session in the village.

Anita said: “Defibrillators are very easy to use and people of all ages can use one. My children aged nine and 12 are here tonight (February 27) and though I hope we will never have to use one, its important that people know how to use one, should the need arise.”

She added: “I would like to say a massive thank you to everyone that gave donations and also to Maralyn Bailey, Adrian Mitchell and Ruth Harris from Clawton Parish Hall committee for all their help and support in obtaining funds and sourcing the defibrillator. I wouldn’t have been able to do it without their help. A big thank you also to Richard Oaten from South West Ambulance Service for tonight’s defibrillator training and for everyone attending.”

The Holsworthy collective’s efforts to potentially save more lives haven’t stopped there, as another defibrillator has been installed in the Holsworthy Hamlets.

One was previously installed at the entrance way to Chilsworthy Vllage Hall. However, parish council member David Campbell decided it would be a good idea if a second was sourced for the other side of the parish in the Staddon Road area to ensure access to a device was available throughout the rural area — the parish council agreed, and work began to source a second defibrillator.

When asked why he was so passionate about seeing another defibrillator installed in his local area, Cllr Campbell told the Post: “Basically I used to work in a very large medical centre up country and we had a defibrillator gifted to us by the British Heart Foundation.

“My job was to check the equipment and make sure it was all operational. One day we had a patient collapse and although I wasn’t involved in the use of the equipment it was my job to stand by with my clipboard and make sure things went smoothly. We were fortunate and were able to get the man out of the medical centre, into an ambulance and on to a hospital — he was then later discharged and went home.

“It was a horrendous experience but when I moved down here I realised it wasn’t a bit like Northamptonshire. We are very rural here in Holsworthy and defibrillators aren’t always close at hand like they are in a more populated area.”

As a result Cllr Campbell began looking into sourcing a second defibrillator for the area. He said: “I looked at buying one but one of our colleagues at Holsworthy Town Council had been in touch with South Western Ambulance Service and were undertaking a lease scheme where they would install it and training would be provided should anyone need to use the defibrillator in the future. We decided to pursue this.”

The parish council owns the old telephone box on Staddon Road, and it was agreed this would be an opportune place to house a second defibrillator. Cllr Campbell said: “The parish council owns the telephone box, which we bought from BT for a pound many years ago. There is an electrical supply to the phone box making it possible to install the defibrillator.”

The defibrillator has been in situ since November and regular ‘Defibrillator Awareness Sessions’ are held by South Western Ambulance Service. These events are free to attend, with the next being held at Holsworthy Market Hall on Thursday, March 21, starting at 6pm.

Cllr Campbell added: “Hopefully it will never have to be used but it is there to potentially save someone’s life.”