Defibrilators for Burghclere thanks to pub fundraising efforts

A total £4,000 was raised between November 8, 2011 and November 8, 2012, at The Carpenters Arms in Burghclere in order to purchase two defibrilators following many fundraising evenings such as a casino night, along with several quiz and bingo nights.
The defibrilators were officially presented to Burghclere Parish Council on Sunday (April 28), after one of the machines was installed in a security coded box on a wall outside the pub, in Harts Lane and another at the Portal Hall - Burghclere’s village hall, in Church Lane.
The cause was close to the hearts of landlady, Christine Chipperfield and her husband, Ian Chipperfield, as both their fathers died, both aged 61, of heart attacks.
“There was no defibrilator in either of the villages our father’s lived in - if they had had one, you never know, they could have survived,” said Mrs Carpenter, adding the Burghclere community had pulled together to raise the money:
“If you can raise money for something to benefit the village, then you get more support - it’s community spirit,” she added.
The defibrilators, said Mrs Chipperfield, can be used by anyone, as the machines ‘talked’ to the user, providing instructions for use.
“It ‘tells’ you where to put the machinery and makes the decision as to whether an electric shock is necessary,” said Mrs Carpenter, adding two people were necessary at the scene, so that if necessary, one could take over the CPR technique, involving giving the heart an electric shock to restart it.
The security code for the box containing the defibrilators, she continued, was held by operators at the 999/emergency control centre, who would decide if use of the defibrilators was necessary and before ambulance services arrived.
Around £400 remains of the funds, which Mrs Chipperfield said would be used to provide two training sessions aimed at raising awareness of the defibrilators.
Fundraising efforts continue this year (2013 to 2014) at the pub, and are currently in aid of Newbury and District Branch of the Multiple Sclerosis Society. A cheque is also to be presented in June at the pub, to local charity, Swings and Smiles following last year’s (2012 to 13) efforts.