A charity is appealing to the public, businesses and community groups across Gloucestershire and the wider South West to help raise £400,000 to replace and upgrade 288 life-saving defibrillators used by volunteer first responders.
The South Western Ambulance Charity (SWAC) has launched the fundraising drive to replace ageing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) carried by Community First Responders — trained volunteers who can reach patients in rural and hard-to-reach areas before an ambulance arrives.
Why the Appeal Has Been Launched
The existing defibrillators used by volunteer responders are becoming outdated. SWAC says the new models will provide more clinical information, offer better guidance to users during an emergency, and integrate more effectively with technology used by professional ambulance crews — making patient handovers quicker and more efficient.
Zoe Larter, of the South Western Ambulance Charity, said the upgraded devices would give volunteers access to equipment that provides “crucial additional functionality” that the current models lack.
“Our Community First Responders are trained volunteers who give their time to help people during some of the most critical moments of their lives,” she said. “Upgrading the defibrillators would give them access to equipment that works alongside the technology used by ambulance crews.”
Every Second Counts in Cardiac Arrest
SWAC says that for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, a person’s chances of survival from cardiac arrest can decrease by around ten per cent. In rural communities across Gloucestershire — where ambulance response times can be longer than in urban areas — Community First Responders with defibrillators frequently provide the critical first intervention.
Larter emphasised the urgency of the situation: “When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second really does count.”
Background: Community First Responders in the Cotswolds
Community First Responders are trained volunteers who operate within their local communities, typically in rural and semi-rural areas. In Gloucestershire, they cover villages and hamlets across the Cotswolds and surrounding areas where a small delay in emergency response can mean the difference between life and death.
The 288 defibrillators targeted for replacement are spread across the charity’s coverage area, which includes Gloucestershire, Somerset, Devon, Cornwall and surrounding counties. Replacement across the full fleet will cost an estimated £400,000.
How to Help
SWAC is asking individuals, businesses and community groups to organise fundraising activities — anything from a marathon run or sponsored walk to a pub quiz, raffle or bake sale. Every pound raised goes directly towards replacing the devices used by volunteer responders in local communities.
Details on how to get involved can be found on the South Western Ambulance Charity website.
This is a developing story as the fundraising appeal progresses.
