Fergus

JUL. 03, 2021

Our first new PAD site in the area! Hopefully first of many to come.

Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells Community First Responders are pleased to announce the launch of a new public access defibrillator site in Tunbridge Wells, the first such device to be provided by the charity since their inception in April of this year.

Following the sad death of a local Kiln Bank resident, Simon Weller, at the Robin Hood pub in February last year, local residents decided to launch a fundraising campaign to provide a defibrillator at the pub in his memory. Had a defibrillator been available the night Simon suffered his cardiac arrest the outcome could have been very different.

Simon suffered a sudden cardiac arrest whilst at a Kiln Bank Resident’s Association meeting at the pub. Other residents there that night, along with staff from the pub, battled to save his life before the ambulance service arrived. Despite everyone’s best efforts Simon sadly passed away later at hospital. One of those there that night was Sanjay Joshi, a doctor for the local Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust at the nearby Tunbridge Wells Hospital.

Following Simon’s death Mr Joshi realised the implications that having a defibrillator available in his local community could have, and supported by Crowborough Community First Responders, started a fundraising campaign to have one installed at the pub. The local community raised over £700 but their fundraising efforts were slowed during the Coronavirus pandemic and the pub was forced to close.

In early 2021 TTWCFR were made aware of the fundraising efforts by their colleagues in Crowborough and they decided to see how they might be able to help. The charity were able to donate a defibrillator to the pub, with the local fundraising effort going towards the purchase of an outdoor cabinet to ensure 24/7 access to the device for local residents.

Alongside the new defibrillator sits a plaque in memory of Simon and this was unveiled last week by his family, alongside Miles Scott, Chief Executive of the Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells NHS Trust. The event was also attended by those supporting the fundraising efforts, led by Sanjay Joshi, as well as the Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells CFR Team, and the Team Leader from Crowborough Community First Responders, Nicki Pointer.

The team would like to thank all those involved with the fundraising effort, with a special thanks to the Robin Hood Pub and Greene King for providing a location in the heart of the community to house the new life saving equipment. In particular the pub manager, Richard Hand, who has worked alongside Sanjay Joshi to support the fundraising, and Tonbridge & Tunbridge Wells CFR to support the installation of the equipment at the pub.