A new defibrillator for Newark is now up and running in Hawtonville

The new device has been installed at the Cleveland Square Community Centre. It is on the outside of the building which means that it will be available 24 hours a day. Alongside the existing provision, the new defibrillator will offer residents and visitors to the area added re-assurance that emergency access is available to anyone who needs it. This location was chosen to bring greater support to older and more vulnerable residents in and around Cleveland Square.

Training is also being arranged for local residents to familiarise themselves with a defibrillator and sessions to offer a basic life support.

“Heart disease is one of the biggest killers in this country, there are more than 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests every year,” explains Councillor Paul Taylor, Portfolio Holder for Public Protection and Community Relations at Newark and Sherwood District Council. “The new defibrillator at the Cleveland Square Community Centre gives us almost full coverage in this ward. It means that anyone unlucky enough to suffer a cardiac arrest outside of the hospital environment will stand a better chance of recovery. Every minute lost, following an arrest, reduces the chances of survival dramatically.

“It goes without saying, if you or someone you see are having a heart attack, calling 999 is the right thing to do. Our defibrillators are registered on the Circuit, the National Defibrillator Network. So, if they are needed they can easily be found and put to work,” adds Councillor Susan Crosby, Portfolio Holder for Health, Wellbeing & Leisure at Newark and Sherwood District Council. “Making sure that residents across the district can have access to a defibrillator should the need arise, is really important to us. Where we see a need for one, we will work with local communities to get one supplied and to provide training in how to use one where we can.”

‘The Circuit’ is a national defibrillator network run by The British Heart Foundation that provides an overview of where publicly available defibrillators are located. The location and status of all defibrillators registered on ‘The Circuit’ is instantly synchronised with the emergency services’ systems to ensure that their information is always up to date and ready to help save lives.

It’s easy to register a defibrillator and we’d urge anyone who may have one or has one on their land to register it with the Circuit. Currently, many defibrillators don’t get used because emergency services don’t know where they are, how to access them or they haven’t been suitably maintained.

All defibrillators owned by the District Council are registered with ‘The Circuit’ and maintained regularly by officers to ensure they are ready for when they are needed.

For more information or to register to ‘The Circuit’, please visit their website at: https://www.thecircuit.uk/ 

The new defibrillator has been installed at Cleveland Square. Training on how to use it will be carried out for the local community to attend. Dates and times will be announced once confirmed.