About the defibrillator in Over Haddon
Eagle-eyed walkers and villagers alike will have noticed that Over Haddon now has its own defibrillator, safely installed in the freshly-painted former phone box in Main Street.
Four years after the idea was put forward for the phone box to be used for this purpose, and following considerable fund-raising, the potentially life-saving defibrillator was finally fitted on September 7, 2016.
And to mark the installation of the equipment, many villagers turned out on October 15, 2016, for an informal ribbon-cutting ceremony. Among them was former parish clerk Helen Foreman, who was heavily involved in setting up the project.
The unveiling of the defibrillator.
A group of villagers outside the telephone box.
Inside the defibrillator.
Parish councillor Roger Trustcott led the ceremony by welcoming everyone along and explained the significance of having the defibrillator in the village.
He acknowledged major contributions from the Over Haddon Village Hall Management Committee, represented by its chair Helen Head, the annual well-dressing and also three Derbyshire Dales District councillors – Helen Froggatt, Alyson Hill and Phillippa Tilbrook, who used their local community funding pot to donate £800. There have also been individual donations from villagers over the years.
In total, £1,795.76 was raised for the defibrillator and it cost £1,775 to purchase, leaving £20.76 in reserve towards the first set of replacement pads in a couple of years’ time.
As in many villages, BT made the obsolete phone box available for the purpose and will cover the cost of the electricity supply for the next seven years.
The project has also involved the country’s leading community defibrillator charity – Community Heartbeat Trust, which organised a night of training in the village hall for everyone at the beginning of October.
Speaking ahead of cutting the ribbon, Mrs Hill said: “We were pleased to be able to give this money towards a very worthwhile cause, which will benefit those inside and outside this community.”
Signs have now been put up around the village, indicating where the defibrillator can be located and the unit itself contains clear instructions on what to do if it is required.
Mr Trustcott said afterwards: “With 60,000 cardiac arrests each year nationally, defibrillators have proved to be real life-savers on many occasions but yet it is probably one of those things that you hope, although it is there ready and waiting, will never have to be used.”
In an EMERGENCY – dial 999 and the ambulance service will provide the code to access the unit.