Defibrillators for Haddenham

Following the very successful launch of Heartbeat Haddenham in March, substantial progress has been made in the campaign to introduce Public Access Defibrillators to the village.

Donations have been received or promised, from the Haddenham scouting & guiding units, the Haddenham & District Rotary, the Masonic Lodge, the Village Fete, Bucks County Council Community Leaders Fund, and the Thame & District Lions Club. In addition, donations are coming from Chiltern Railways, the Cosine Group and Angus Fire, commercial organisations that operate in the village which like to support community charities. Several further similar donations are expected.

One defibrillator has already been installed, by the Library door, thanks to the generosity of the Rural Community Defibrillation Group, based in Princes Risborough, which also decided, unknown to us, that Haddenham needed defibrillation! We are grateful to them for their gift.

By the time you read this, there may well be more installed, or ready to be installed, at Haddenham & Thame Parkway station, at the Sports & Social Club at the Woodways playing field, and at Church End, where we hope to get permission from AVDC to use the telephone box as a lifesaving point (British Telecom has already approved). Also, the Abbeyfields defibrillator will be mounted outside the building, in the porch, so that it is readily available 24 hours a day, whenever the ambulance service directs somebody to use it. One or two more sites may be considered in the village, subject to funds, and to suggestions of the best places to put them.

This overview of the current situation illustrates again that Haddenham residents are generous, and that they live in a nice village. Now they have an even better chance of living there longer! If you would like to contribute to the campaign, please visit the make-a-donation website which passes on to us 100% of the money received.

For further information, contact Richard Kendall 01844 290788) or Tony Warris (01844 292273)