In October 2016 I met a group of young people whilst taking part in my National Citizen Service. The program centres around giving back to your local area through a community action project.

Whilst discussing ideas for this task it occurred to me that my village, Little Staughton, lacked its own defibrillator. Our rural location means that we are at least a 20 minute drive from a hospital and so an AED could truly mean the difference between life and death for any of our residents.

DID YOU KNOW ?
When someone has a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces their chances of survival by 7-10%. The average response time for first responders once 999 is called is 8-12 minutes. 12 people under the age of 35 die every week due to sudden cardiac arrest in the UK and 270 children die in the UK per year after suffering a Sudden Cardiac Arrest at school. Up to 100,000 people die in the UK from sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) each year – more than breast cancer, lung cancer, HIV and AIDs combined.

We have commenced fundraising but now we need YOUR help to give a person suffering from a cardiac arrest, the best possible chance of survival whilst in our village.

What am I personally doing to raise funds?
I have committed to take part ina 5km swim with Milcotts Swimming Club. This is a very personal challenge for me as since the age of 4 I have suffered from Perthes disease of my right hip. I've had numerous operations that have helped with my mobility, however I will always suffer from Arthritis. Therefore, this will push me both physically and mentally.
I have also (through my position of responsibility at Sharnbrook Upper School) secured the support of my House in doing various fundraising activities for this project.

Thank you for all of your kind support, please feel free to forward this link to friends and family as it would greatly help raise awareness.