A NEW defibrillator has been installed in Stairfoot thanks to the work of local volunteers.

The defibrillator - which is located at 23a Field Lane - was unveiled last Tuesday, after volunteers from the Victoria Almshouses and Field Lane Crafters worked with the Stairfoot Ward Alliance to get the equipment put in place.

It comes as part of a national push to get more accessible defibrillators in public, as the British Heart Foundation revealed that nine out of ten of the 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests that happen each year in the UK are fatal.

Richard Ullyott, of Victoria Almshouses, told the Chronicle: “The almshouses have been there for over 100 years so we’re always looking at how we can support people in the area.

“A defibrillator was something that could help with the wider community - if you can get a defibrillator to someone within three minutes their chances of survival dramatically increases.

“It’s really important to have one.”

The equipment was provided by the ward alliance, with installation and maintenance costs being covered by Richard’s team at the almshouses.

“It was quite lucky really,” he added.

“We’d decided we wanted to install a defibrillator and then they’d told us they had one available.

“We need to monitor it to make sure if it’s used, everything’s closed properly and replenished.”