Congleton Improves Community Safety with Two New Life-Saving Defibrillators

In a community-led initiative, Congleton has enhanced its emergency medical resources with the installation of two new life-saving defibrillators. These vital devices, funded by Congleton Lions, Congleton Partnership, London Hearts, and Tesco, were officially unveiled by Congleton Town Mayor, Cllr Rob Moreton at Back Lane Playing Fields and Howdens, off Viking Way.

This life-saving project comes in response to stark statistics from the British Heart Foundation, which show that around 30,000 people suffer from sudden cardiac arrests in the UK annually, with only 10% surviving. The availability of defibrillators can increase the survival rate from 6% to 74% if the device is used within three minutes on a person in a shockable rhythm.

Cathy Dean, Officer for Congleton Partnership, expressed her gratitude for the community’s collaborative effort: “This project is a shining example of what we can achieve together. A heartfelt thank you goes out to Jon Charlesworth (Eric Charlesworth Electrical Services) and Chris Hough (Dane Ridge Joinery), who installed these units free of charge. We also appreciate the support from Cheshire East and Howdens for allowing us to use their properties. This project exemplifies the synergy of community groups, local businesses, and the council coming together to safeguard our residents.”

Each new defibrillator has been registered on a central database to ensure rapid access during emergencies. Emergency operators will direct callers to the nearest defibrillator and provide an access code when calling 999.

David Morris from Congleton Lions highlighted the critical nature of these installations: “With the two new devices, we now have ten 24/7 accessible defibrillators in Congleton, one of which is used roughly every six weeks. Our sincere thanks to Tesco as well, whose community grant scheme contributed to the Howdens unit. It’s crucial for our community to have these life-saving tools readily available.”

The placement of these defibrillators at Back Lane Playing Fields and Howdens off Viking Way ensures that they are accessible for public use around the clock, enhancing the community's capacity to respond effectively to emergencies.

For more information about the defibrillator locations or how you can contribute to safety initiatives in Congleton, please contact Cathy Dean, Congleton Partnership Officer, at:cathy.dean@congleton-tc.gov.uk.