Mission accomplished as lifesaving defibrillator installed at livestock market

The chairman of Shropshire Rural Support (SRS) charity has thanked supporters of a fundraising drive to buy and install a lifesaving, community access defibrillator at Shrewsbury Auction Centre.

Andrew Bebb says it’s “fantastic” that the mission to provide the defibrillator at the livestock market has been successful. Now he would like a community access defibrillator at every livestock market in Shropshire.

“First responders are doing a brilliant job in Shropshire and having a community access defibrillator at Shrewsbury Auction Centre will be a lifesaver,” said Andrew, a dairy farmer from Hanwood, near Shrewsbury.

“If somebody has a car accident or a heart attack near to the market, the nearest community access defibrillator is eight minutes away, which could be a matter of life or death.

“The defibrillator has been a long time coming, for various reasons, but we got there in the end. It’s wonderful news and I would like to thank everybody who contributed to the fundraising campaign.

“I have been on a first responder training course to learn how to use a defibrillator and I would encourage others to do the same.”

Directors of Halls, the multi-disciplined company that runs Shrewsbury Auction Centre, paid half the cost of the defibrillator. Local farmer and businessman James Cartwright, who owns Cambers Country Stores, covered the rest after hearing an interview with Andrew on BBC Radio Shropshire.

Andrew has also involved the Henry Angell-James Memorial Trust. The trust was set up by Henry’s widow Sally after he died of a heart attack at the age of 54 on a train journey Birmingham to Shrewsbury.

To date, the trust has supplied around 90 defibrillators to communities in Shropshire and further afield which all have public access and are registered with The Circuit, the national defibrillator network.

The defibrillator model supplied at Shrewsbury Auction Centre is used by West Midlands Ambulance Service which is aware of its location.

Money raised in a bucket collection at the livestock market paid for the installation, which required a heated cabinet to ensure the defibrillator works efficiently during cold weather. The residue of the collection has been donated to the Henry Angell-James Memorial Trust.

James Evans, a director of Halls and an auctioneer at Shrewsbury and Bishops Castle livestock markets, said: “We were delighted to support Andrew’s fundraising campaign for the community access defibrillator because you never know when you are going to need it.

“We have farmers of all ages coming to the market and if the defibrillator saves one life, then it’s worthwhile. We shall be training our staff at the market to use the defibrillator.”

Mr Cartwright said: “Cambers Country Stores is a long established agricultural business with our customers coming from all sectors of the community. It was our pleasure to give something back to the agricultural community that continues to be part of our growing business.”

SRS provides free, confidential support to Shropshire farmers and their families during periods of anxiety and stress.

The defibrillator partnership is an extension to a free health checks service for farmers which was trialled by Shropshire Council’s community wellbeing outreach team at Shrewsbury Auction Centre earlier this year.