Some time ago I reported on a campaign that was started (in Kent, I believe) to have defibrillators installed in pubs. I have not heard anything further about it but I’m pleased to report that the idea is catching on.
Gary Robinson, the manager of the Sultan in South Wimbledon, which happens to be my local, has been raising funds to purchase not just one defibrillator for the pub but a series of them for local public buildings. Already over £5,000 has been raised and the first machine is now on the outside wall of the pub. It was unveiled with due ceremony on 27 September by the Mayor of Merton, Joan Henry. Also present were the Deputy Mayor of Merton, Agatha Akyigyina OBE and local councillor Ellie Stringer plus many of the pub’s regulars who all wanted to see where their money had gone! The Mayor, a former nurse, enthusiastically welcomed the project, saying, “I am so honoured and so proud to see our community come together and make one of these available. Please keep giving because there are so many places like this who would like to have one.” The next machine will be presented to the church hall near the pub and the one after to a local community centre. More will follow.
As reported in the Wimbledon Times, Gary commented, “What we have done here is just typical of how this place operates. This is just a measure of the community spirit here. The idea to raise money for a defibrillator came initially off the back of a conversation I had. Nobody knew where the nearest defibrillator was and it was not until we Googled it that we realised that the closest one is in big Sainsbury’s in Colliers Wood, which is a fair way away. We got through
Covid without losing any of our regulars but in the last four or five months we have sadly lost two of our regulars to heart failures.”
Many defibrillators are kept in locked cabinets because, sadly, they are prone to theft. Until recently, the London Ambulance Service did not record the access codes for these but they have recently changed their policy and have now joined a national database from which the access code can be obtained by dialling 999. Gary continued, “It is an amazing bit of kit and it is your money that has bought it. In its five year life span it should deliver 200 shocks but, in a bit of twisted irony, let’s hope that we never have to use it.” He added that it is suitable for both children and adults, is heated, lights up in the dark and even talks you through the process of saving someone’s life.
Something similar has also happened north of the river. Gerard Tierney from CAMRA’s North London branch reports that one of his local pubs, the Old Ale Emporium in Green Lanes also has one. Following the deaths of people close to two members of staff, a charity night was held which raised over £2,500. Local businesses also contributed. There is now a huge collection box by the bar to help with the machine’s upkeep!
At the end of September, CAMRA’s on-line newspaper, What’s Brewing, reported that the licensee of the Hare & Hounds in Radcliffe, Greater Manchester, saved the life of a regular customer by performing CPR when the customer had a heart attack. Consequently, the pub is also now raising funds for a defibrillator.