Residents' fundraising campaign set to save lives in Warsop

Fundraisers, councillors and members of the Mansfield Community First Responder Group at the Warsop centre.

A fundraising campaign by residents enabled a defibrillator to be installed at the Wellington Close centre. And so much money was collected that they had enough left over to purchase a second device for Birklands Primary School, also in Warsop, which will be set up in the coming months.

The campaign was spearheaded by Sallie Lamb and Kay Chant, who have generated £1,688 through fundraising activities since February. Supported by family, friends and the local community, these activities have included a non-uniform day at Birklands School, which contributed £222.

Sallie said: “We saw that nearby Meden Vale had been staging some fundraising events to get their own equipment, and we found out that Warsop had only defibrillator in the town, which was located at the fire station.

“So we thought we would see how far we could go to put another piece of lifesaving equipment into our community. May six-year-old son, Caeleb, even got involved and helped to raise £200.”

The Wellington Close centre is a building owned by Mansfield District Council close to where about 40 elderly residents life. They use the centre for events such as bingo, social evenings and parties.

The new defibrillator, which is a device that can save the life of someone in cardiac arrest, has been provided by the self-funded Mansfield Community First Responder Group, which offers help across the district in support of East Midlands Ambulance Service. The group visited the community centre to give a demonstration on how to use the device and to show staff how to respond to a person experiencing a cardiac arrest.

The whole campaign has been backed by Coun Andy Wetton, Labour member for the council’s Meden ward, who said: “The defibrillator is an excellent tool to have, and Wellington Close is a sensible location to install it. The training provided was most valuable, and I’m sure lives will be saved.”

The fundraisers were congratulated by Coun Barry Answer, the council’s portfolio holder for housing, who said: “We thank them for their hard work.”