Community Group of the Year nomination – Tamworth Have a Heart
Community Group of the Year nomination – Tamworth Have a Heart
A charity dedicated to fundraising to buy and install defibrillators for community use has just installed its 84th in the Tamworth area.
Tamworth Have a Heart started in 2016. As well and funding and installing defibrillators it raises awareness of cardiac arrest risk and trains the public in cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of automatic external defibrillators.
Stuart Dawson has been chairman and trustee since 2018, after his father set up the charity. Volunteers and trustees include three generation of the Dawson family.
The most recent defibrillator was acquired by the charity at Mile Oak Recreation Ground, with the last installation at Middleton Hall Trust, and the charity plans to install even more in Tamworth and surrounding areas in the future.
Stuart said: “Our initial aim was to install 10 in Tamworth and the surrounding area, but we have obviously exceeded that. Our aim now is to grow and grow and keep increasing the number in our area.
“It’s hard because we have to maintain and update each defibrillator regularly, including replacing pads and batteries as they expire, but we are passionate about the huge positives there are from having them publicly accessible.
“We have had 159 defibrillators activated in the last 12 months, and when you see the statistics on cardiac arrests it’s clear that what we are doing is really needed.
“Not only do we supply defibrillators, but members of our team also go into the community and teach CPR and the use of AEDs too. Public awareness is so vitally important when faced with emergencies.”
Tamworth Have a Heart has been nominated in the Community Group of the Year category of the Your Heroes Awards.