Community Defibrillators
Kington St Michael has two community defibrillators - one at the school and one at the pub (map of defibillator positions). We fundraised to purchase them so that they are available around the clock for anyone to use on a suspected heart attack patient, ONCE 999 has been dialled and contact made with the ambulance service. Please read what to do if someone collapses.
This important piece of equipment can mean the difference between life and death, as following a Cardiac Arrest the chance of survival decreases by 23% per minute. It is therefore very important medical treatment starts as soon as possible. The UK Resuscitation Council suggests an AED should be available wherever medical treatment is more than 5 minutes away. In practical terms this means the whole of the UK. Of course we would much rather it never had to be used.
YOU DO NOT NEED TO BE TRAINED TO USE THIS EQUIPMENT - THE PACK WILL TALK TO YOU. REMEMBER TO DIAL 999 FIRST.
FACT: Statistically each year one person in approximately every 600 suffers a heart attack - our parish population at the last census was 720.
For advice on health matters visit www.nhs.uk/
History
September 2025 ~ The Parish Council kindly took over
responsibility of the defibrillators in September 2025. Thanks go to
Avril Balmforth and Linda Durno who initiated and managed the scheme
prior to then.
October '11 ~ Leaflets have now been distributed throughout the village informing on what to do if someone collapses - you can view or print a copy here.
September '11 ~ Huge thanks to KSM WI which kindly donated the profits from its annual buffet lunch and gave us a cheque for £542.83.
~ Many thanks to the Moto in the Community Trust (via Mark Slatter at Moto, Leigh Delamere Services westbound) for a grant of £500 towards the defibrillator at the school.
Mark slatter presents a cheque for £500 from
the Moto in the Community Trust, 22nd September 2011.
~ The village's second defibrillator has now been installed outside The Jolly Huntsman. Thanks go to Helen & Simon Curtis for agreeing to this and to Paul Hayes who did the electrical work for both defibrillators. Information leaflets will soon be delivered to every household in the parish and twelve parishioners have put their names forward to attend a first-aid course later in the month. Defibrillator at The Jolly Huntsman.
July '11 ~
Linda Durno, Avril Balmforth and Tracy Cornelius, Head teacher,
with the first defibrillator now in place at Kington St Michael School.
The first Community Defibrillator in North Wiltshire is HERE in Kington St Michael at our village school. The second one will be installed at The Jolly Huntsman soon. In the event of someone collapsing with a suspected heart attack a 999 call is made to the ambulance control which provides the unique PIN number to unlock the cabinet. In an emergency anyone can use the defibrillator, which is foolproof and will read the collapsed person’s condition, only administering a life-saving shock to the heart if necessary. Funds were raised through donations from individuals, village groups including the Recreation Field group and the WI, local businesses, a jar on the bar at the pub and by holding a progressive supper.
~ Thank you to Helen & Simon at The Jolly Huntsman for displaying a collection box - this has been emptied for the last time, raising £45.03 for the Defib Scheme. In total the box raised £117.53 through kind donations from patrons.
June '11: We have placed the order for two defibs and cabinets, etc. Delivery is up to 6 weeks. We have met with an electrician and received an estimate for the cost of installation and we have heard that our grant application is actually up for consideration on July 27th and that we should hear the outcome of that by the middle of August.
May' 11: ~ Following a meeting with the Listed Building officer, she has confirmed that Listed Building Consent will not be required for the defibrillator cabinet at The Jolly Huntsman and the position has been agreed.
~ The grant we applied for is now being discussed this month. We shall be arranging to meet with an electrician, regarding installation of the defibrillators, and also with the Listed Building Officer from Wiltshire Council.
April '11: April 20th - The request for advice from a Listed Building Officer has been received and logged at Wiltshire Council offices in Chippenham.
April 1st - Following a meeting with a planning officer, advice is currently being sought from Listed Building officers as to where precisely they would be agreeable for a defbrillator cabinet to be sited on the pub's cottage wall and what plans they would need.
March '11: We have applied for a grant towards the cost of one of the defibrillators and will know if we have been successful in April. Our next step is to apply for Listed Building Consent for a defibrillator to be sited at The Jolly Huntsman. Progressive Supper Avril and Linda would like to thank everyone who attended the progressive supper on March 12th, and to the "support team" of hosts, pudding makers, bar staff, givers of raffle prizes - in fact anyone who helped in any way whatsoever! The total raised is £1,085.62.
BACKGROUND HISTORY
The Parish Council received information from the Community Heatbeat Trust (patron Simon Weston OBE) www.communityheartbeat.org.uk about community defibrillators and agreed that the scheme is a worthy one, and that fundraising would be needed to enable the installation of two defibrillators within the parish. Interest in the scheme was then registered with the trust and more information requested.
Subsequently Mr Richard Schofield, from CHT, made a presentation at the village's Annual Parish Meeting in April 2010. He has visited the village on several occasions, and has recommended that two defibrillators are purchased, at a cost of just under £4,000. This includes 2 x AED defibrillators, the vandal proof boxes, training resources for the village and service and support for maintenance.
A fundraising committee was then formed to get the ball rolling.
Sites for the equipment have been identified as Kington St Michael CE Primary School and The Jolly Huntsman pub, as these are both freely accessible to the public at all times, sited in a prominent outdoor position, with access to an electricity supply.
The school’s Governors and Helen & Simon Curtis (the pub’s licensees) have very kindly agreed to site a defibrillator, subject to any planning consents as necessary.
Helpful links: www.communityheartbeat.org.uk/
Frequently asked questions: please view the most frequesntly asked questions about defibillators and the scheme here.