Community: Lifesaving defibrillator has been installed at Midgehole near Hebden Bridge

National cardiac charity SADS UK has supported the installation of the Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD) at Midgehole.

It has been a joint effort by various people to ensure the installation of the defibrillator.

With half the fundraising for the CPAD coming from local residents and The Blue Pig, local working man’s club, the other half of the funds were contributed by a SADS UK charity member, Ken Waight, who lost his 23-year-old son to Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) in 2009.

Wadsworth Parish Council supported the installation and running costs of the CPAD and thanks also go to the National Trust for hosting the device. This lifesaving defibrillator is in the vicinity of a high foot fall and will be readily available should anyone suffer a sudden cardiac arrest in the area.

Anne Jolly MBE, Founder of SADS UK, the Ashley Jolly SAD Trust, said: “SADS UK is pleased that Midgehole, Hebden Bridge will now benefit from having a defibrillator in its vicinity to restart the heart if there is a cardiac arrest nearby.

"SADS UK works to put defibrillators in the community as using CPR alone provides a five per cent chance of survival but early use of the defibrillator as well increases the chance of survival to over 50 per cent.”

Resident Richard Pierson, said: “I am really pleased to see the local community have come together to fund the defibrillator, a device which we hope may not be used but which may well save a life.

"I'd like to thank all those who have made this possible.”

All the defibrillators provided by SADS UK are registered on a national network of defibrillators, ‘The Circuit’.

This means that when an emergency call is made the call handler is able to direct the rescuer to the nearest defibrillator.

SADS UK assists schools, organisations and communities to put defibrillators in place as the sooner a defibrillator is applied to a person who suffers a cardiac arrest the better the chance is of survival.

The defibrillator at Midgehole, Hebden Bridge is easy for anyone to use, providing voice prompts to the rescuer. The emergency call handler also remains on the phone to help in the resuscitation attempt.