Community Groups & a local family forging more links to Aycliffe’s AED Chain of Survival.
A campaign to provide 24-hour public access lifesaving equipment, develop community awareness, and teach basic lifesaving techniques continues to advance.
Originally supported by funding via Great Aycliffe & Middridge Partnership, County Councillors Joan Gray, Mike Dixon and John Clare, Great Aycliffe Town Council, The Village Pharmacy, PCP, Greenfield College, Middridge Parish Council and very generous public support.
Raising local awareness has been very effective with many organisations and groups now obtaining defibrillator units for use within buildings or at events, such as bus trips. Many of these units have also been gifted to these groups. For example, Horndale Residents Association, by Grannies Choice, and recently Neville Community Residents Association by Falcon Medical Solutions.
Within 18 months we have gone from Newton Aycliffe having no 24 hour defibrillators, to now having units installed and available to the public 24-hours a day at: Woodham Village Community Centre, PCP, Bay Horse Middridge, Greenfield College, St Clare’s Church and The Oak Leaf Football Pitches (Provided by The Football Club and Great Aycliffe Town Council).
Within the next few weeks two more 24-hour defibrillator units will be installed. One at the Navy Club, and one at Neville Community Association.
Staff, Members, and the Ladies Group headed by Dorothy Bowman based at the Navy Club have been supported by GAMP Neighbourhood Budget Funding from Eddy Adam, John Clare, Kate Hopper, Scott Durham, and Paul Howell.
Neville Community Centre, and Neville Community Residents Group new defibrillator is being supported by GAMP Small Funding from County Councillors Sarah Iveson and Jim Atkinson. They are also being generously supported by local family Rachel, Trevor, their son Calum Taylor, and his partner Andrea.
The Taylor family earlier this year lost their daughter Seonaid Taylor-Hill, from a heart condition. They are determined that in her memory some good will come from bad. They have started and are continuing their “Kick it for Seonaid” campaign of events to raise funds to provide defibrillators in the community. By doing this the family hope to spare some other family from the terrible loss that they have experienced. Alongside providing funding for the 24-hour unit they are also helping Neville Residents Association with equipment for the donated defibrillator unit to be used on bus trips.
The free training programme to teach basic CPR and defibrillator awareness will have trained, by this Friday, 300 people.
All seven of our County Councillors have agreed in principal, for an application to be presented at the next GAMP Board Meeting on Tuesday 27th November, for funding for another years free training at several local venues. If this proposal is accepted, we would intend to launch the training programme starting January 2019. If anyone is interested in knowing more, please contact David on 01325 316144.
Whilst we have made major inroads to providing potential lifesaving equipment in the community, the chain of coverage of these units is not complete. Areas such as Aycliffe Village, School Aycliffe, West Ward and some central parts of the town are areas which should also be addressed. I look forward to working with others towards this goal.
May I add that this has been a tremendous community effort and a great example of what can be achieved if we all work together.
