Campaign to install publicly accessible defibrillator

Graham Bates, of Nidderdale Close, is leading a grassroots effort to install a publicly accessible defibrillator in his neighbourhood.

Mr Bates launched the campaign after discovering that the nearest defibrillators are either locked behind access codes or more than a mile away – a distance that can prove critical in an emergency.

Despite some being listed on the national defibrillator network, ‘The Circuit’, not all are accessible when needed most.

A fundraising page has been launched on the CommunityMyDefib website with the aim of raising £1,950.

So far £420 has been accrued, and Mr Bates is hoping local businesses and residents will get behind the campaign.

Mr Bates said: “And even then, if you don’t know what a defibrillator is or where to go, you're already losing time.”

Bridlington no longer has an A&E hospital – the closest is in Scarborough.

In peak summer months, with traffic and increased visitor numbers, that journey can take significantly longer.

Mr Bates added: “The ambulance service do a great job, but if they’re held up getting to someone, every minute counts.

“I’ve not been personally affected by cardiac arrest, but I know if someone collapses at home, you’ve got just five minutes to get a defibrillator to them.

"That’s not possible if it’s locked away or a mile up the road.”

Graham has proposed installing the defibrillator on the front of his home, visible from the street and accessible 24/7.

“If each household gave just £10, less than the price of a first-class stamp per year over four years, we’d be there already,” he said. “And while that £10 assumes two people per property, some homes have just one occupant. So, I’m asking people to give what they can. This defibrillator isn’t just for me.

“It’s for everyone in the area: neighbours, visitors, anyone who might need it.”

Visit www.mycommunitydefib.co.uk/project/nidderdale-close-bridlington if you would like to donate to the campaign.