The Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund serves the upper reaches of the Neath, Afan, Rhondda and Cynon Valleys. The Community Fund has awarded funds for several defibrillators with community groups and buildings in first few years but recognising that we could be more proactive we approached Calon Hearts and working with them we have funded the installation of 78 public access defibrillators across the fund area.
Calon Hearts working with us, and local community voluntary councils contacted communities, local councillors and other community members and mapped access to defibrillators. We identified 78 locations across all towns and villages that it would be beneficial to install a defibrillator including community buildings, private businesses and a variety of other locations. All of the defibrillators are accessible to the public and will be registered on the Circuit and Welsh Ambulance register.
Accessibility to a defibrillator is key to saving a life. Each minute that is wasted reduces the chances of saving that life by 10%. Calon Heart Screening and Defibrillators Wales aims to improve accessibility and availability of lifesaving defibrillators in Wales, which in turn, will help improve number of out of hospital cardiac arrest deaths. Calon Hearts have arranged installation using local electricians and will insure the devices. Importantly they have also worked with community / community groups to assign a guardian to each defibrillator.
Calon Hearts supply the advanced and dual functioning Mindray Beneheart C1A defibrillator model. Not only does this model carry out daily self-diagnostic tests, meaning maintenance is extremely limited but more importantly this model can be applied to both an adult and a child at the flick of a switch rather than having to waste time changing the pads
The next stage is to offer free defibrillator training sessions across the towns and villages to ensure community is aware of and confident enough to use if an emergency situation were to happen, more details to follow.
Kimberley Lloyd, Operations Manager at Calon Hearts added – “We are delighted to have partnered up with PyC on this amazing life-saving initiative placing 78 public access defibrillators in strategic locations as well as teaching these communities lifesaving skills and registering these devices on the Circuit – the national defibrillator database. While in early discussions with PyC it became apparent that this project was much needed given the gaps and the lack of public access defibrillators in certain areas. We cannot thank PyC and Kate in particular for their commitment and hard work in this ground breaking project. We hope these 78 public access defibrillators will never be needed but it is reassuring for these communities that if the worst was ever to happen these devices will be on hand to save a person’s life.”
The independent Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund CIC is responsible for managing the £1.8 million a year Fund set up by energy company Vattenfall, the operator of the wind farm.