Life-saving defibrillator donated to Brierley Forest Park

Park runners have donated a life-saving defibrillator to a country park in Sutton in Ashfield.

Brierley Forest Park is the beneficiary of the device, which is used to help people who suffer sudden cardiac arrest.

It has been donated by members of the Brierley Forest parkrun – one of more than 1,200 running groups across the country who meet every week.

The group has recently raised £1,000 to buy a new mobile defibrillator – known as an AED. The device is easy-to-use and can analyse a heart's rhythm and, if necessary, deliver an electrical shock, or defibrillation, to help it re-establish an effective rhythm.

Leader of the Council, Cllr Jason Zadrozny said:

“We thank the parkrun team run for their help and kind donation. We can’t have enough of these access points across Ashfield, they really are life-saving when they are needed the most, upping cardiac arrest survival rates significantly.”

Executive Lead for Strategic Housing and Climate Change, Cllr Tom Hollis added:

“This is a fabulous example of people in Ashfield coming together and giving something back to their community. We’re doing all we can to make Ashfield a healthier and happier place to live and the success of the parkrun, and having access to critical devices like the defib, illustrate this.”

The device adds to the network of defibrillators available across Ashfield.

Michael Woods, Brierley Forest parkrun co-event director, said:

“In the event of a sudden cardiac arrest the chances of survival reduce by 10 per cent for every minute that goes by without treatment. We felt it vital to have access to a mobile AED and began fundraising. Thanks to donations from our members, a raffle run by our friends at the Brierley Café, and a significant donation from the Brierley Forest Park Trust, we’ve able to buy the AED.

“We’ve now decided to donate our existing defib and cabinet to the park’s visitor centre. It’s something the members were keen to do to show our appreciation for the use of the park on a Saturday morning and to demonstrate how much we love Brierley Forest.”

You will find defibrillators in a locked box that need a key code to gain access. To open the unit, dial 999 and the ambulance service will provide the code, meaning emergency first aid can start whilst the ambulance is on its way. The defibs are fully automatic and will talk the user through the process.