Some of our members visited Island Car Centre in Rookley, the site of our sixth Public Access Defibrillator, which within a week of its installation has already been used to help someone.
Louise Walker - head of the Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Training & Community Response Services (and mum to one of our junior dancers!) - joined us for the visit and had this to say:
"Once again thank you so much to the Wight Strollers for supporting our Community Defibrillator programme, your passion and drive to raise money for local causes is highly commendable and so very much appreciated. I look forward to seeing you all in the Island carnivals this year!"A defibrillator is a portable device that can be used by a member of a public in the event of cardiac arrest - it analyses a casualty’s heart rhythm and will shock them if needed.
For every minute that passes without defibrillation and Cardio-Pulmonary Resuscitation (CPR), chances of survival decrease by around ten per cent.
The idea behind PADs is that when someone calls 999 the Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Service will make the caller aware of the nearest Public Access Defibrillator - and it could be what makes the difference between someone making it to hospital or not, between someone living and dying.
They're an invaluable piece of kit, that's for sure, and the scheme to get PADs set up Island-wide is one we hope to continue to support - we've purchased six for the Island so far, and counting!
But that wasn't all that happened on our visit to Rookley...
Whilst we were at Island Car Centre, the staff there came out to chat with us about who we are and what we do, and then disappeared...when they returned, it was to present us with a cheque for £100 towards our fundraising efforts for the local community.
We were truly touched, and would like to thank Island Car Centre for both their generosity in making a donation and also for agreeing to be the guardians of our latest PAD.
Everything we do is for Island charities, all our donations stay on the Island, and every penny makes a massive difference to Island people. So, from all of us here at The Wight Strollers, we'd like to say a massive thank-you to Island Car Centre, to Louise and the Isle of Wight NHS Ambulance Training & Community Response Service and, of course, to you - our supporters - for making all this possible.
