A DEFIBRILLATOR will soon be installed in Victoria Park following the success of an online crowdfunding page, combined with funding from local groups.
Frome Selwood Tennis Club launched an appeal last month to raise £1,000 to install a defibrillator in the Mary Baily field in Victoria Park as the closest defibrillator is at Frome Fire Station, around an eight-minute walk.
Victoria Park is a well-used area by the local community as people make use of the public tennis courts, the Multi Use Games Area and the skatepark and it is also close to the tennis club. The area is also used by Avanti Park School, Frome Park Bowling Club is nearby, and other activity groups use the Mary Baily Field.
The appeal received funding from Frome Town Council, Frome Park Bowling Club and the tennis club itself, alongside donations from the online fundraising page.
John Price, who launched the appeal said, “There’s lots of activity that takes place in and around Victoria Park, so we thought it would be a great idea to raise some money to install a defibrillator, just in case anyone should need it, as the area is used by so many different groups. We hope that no-one has to use it, but on the off-chance that they do, the equipment will be there for them.
“We received £250 from Frome Town Council, a further £250 from Frome Park Bowling Club and the tennis club donated £150, with the rest being raised by generous local people who donated using the online fundraising page.
“The defibrillator is being provided by the Friends of Frome Hospital and I would like to say a massive thank you to them and everyone else who donated to make this a reality – we are so grateful for your support.”
Defibrillators are devices that apply an electric charge or current to the heart to restore a normal heartbeat. If the heart rhythm stops due to cardiac arrest, also known as sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), a defibrillator may help it start beating again. Every minute that a person in SCA does not receive defibrillation, their chances of survival drops by 7-10%.
