Life-saving equipment donated to University as part of Public Hearts Campaign

A new defibrillator has been installed at University of Gloucestershire in association with a local business and the Public Hearts Campaign, increasing access to life-saving equipment for members of the University community, visitors and the public.

The latest unit is available outside the main entrance to the Gloucestershire Business School and Growth Hub at the University’s Oxstalls Campus in Gloucester, after being kindly donated by the owner of the Mayflower Restaurant in Cheltenham, Chun Kong, as part of the Public Hearts Campaign.

It increases the number of defibrillators across the University’s locations in Cheltenham and Gloucester – all accessible to the general public – to 12.

The Public Hearts Campaign is a local initiative that seeks to raise awareness about the importance of defibrillators and to make them more accessible.

Research suggests that if a defibrillator is placed on a patient within the first two minutes of suffering a cardiac arrest, the chances of survival can increase by up to 80%.

Jonathan Wye, the University’s Health, Safety and Quality Manager, said: “We are very grateful to the Kong family for their generous donation of a defibrillator as part of the Public Hearts Campaign.

“It’s clear that defibrillators can play a vital role in saving lives so we’re delighted to have 12 publicly-accessible units at our locations in Cheltenham and Gloucester.

“Our Health and Safety Team will be holding defibrillator awareness training sessions for University staff should they be needed in an emergency situation.”

The Public Hearts Defibrillator Campaign is committed to raising awareness and numbers of lifesaving defibrillators in the community.

A collaboration of local businesses, the campaign has installed 30 defibrillators in Cheltenham and Gloucester since December last year.

Campaign founder Clare Seed said: “We are delighted to facilitate the handover of this defibrillator, generously donated from Chun Kong of the Mayflower, for University of Gloucestershire. It demonstrates the power of collaboration and working together as a community.

“Public Hearts Defibrillator Campaign was created in 2018 in response to the lack of public access defibrillators in and around Cheltenham.

“There are over 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest incidents in the UK each year with a survival rate of less than 10%. In the event of cardiac arrest, only a defibrillator can restart a heart to its regular rhythm.”

Chun Kong, owner of the Mayflower Restaurant, said: “Public Hearts is a superb campaign and we are proud to be involved. It is a pleasure to donate the defibrillator to University of Gloucestershire. It’s our way of giving back to the community for standing by us for 40 years.” 

Picture: Jonathan Wye (right) receiving the new defibrillator from Chun Kong together with Clare Seed, the co-founder of the Public Hearts initiative