A MAJOR donation could prove a real life-saver in Tenbury and the Teme Valley.

Funds have been made available to provide a network of ‘heart start’ machines in the area.

The defibrillators can be life-savers especially in isolated areas like Tenbury and the Teme Valley where response times from ambulance crews and paramedics will be longer.

In the event of a cardiac arrest or failure, the machines can be used to apply an electric shock to get it pumping again.

As soon as the heart stops beating, it is a race against time to prevent damage to major organs and death.

Defibrillators can be used by people who are not medically trained. However, some basic training along with an understanding of how to carry out mouth the mouth resuscitation is a benefit.

The Four Acre Trust is donating £50,000 towards buying additional automated external defibrillators for rural areas of Herefordshire and Worcestershire including Tenbury and the Teme Valley.

To qualify, local communities need to raise half the money and the Four Acre Trust will pay the other half.

The funding should mean up to 100 extra machines being available to members of the public to use in the event of someone suffering a cardiac arrest. A defibrillator is used to reset the heart so that it can start beating normally again.

A cardiac arrest is where the heart stops beating and should not be confused with a heart attack.

Every year there are more than 130,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in England. With early cardiopulmonary resuscitation and defibrillation, more than 90 per cent of those patients could be saved. Sadly, only about eight per cent will be saved because it takes too long to get help. By increasing the number of AEDs in the community, more lives can be saved.

When a community comes up with the funding, they should apply to the Hereford and Worcester Community First Responder Charity who will arrange for the defib to be placed in a box on the likes of a church wall, school, shop or even pub; anywhere that it can be accessed 24 hours a day.

“Not only will we help the community to install the defib, we will work with West Midlands Ambulance Service to train local people in its use,” said Sue Watkins of the Hereford and Worcester Community First Responders.

However, people should remember that you do not need to have had any training to use one.

There are so many examples of where having a defib in a rural community has made the difference between life and death.

West Mercia community response manager, Cliff Medlicott, said that for every minute after the heart stops beating the chances or survival drops by10 per cent.

“Whether you have had training or not, you can make a difference if you know where your nearest defib is,” he said.

“We’d urge every local community to come together to take up this fantastically generous offer from the Four Acre Trust.”

Any community or group that would like to take up the offer should contact Sue Watkins via email at sue.watkins2016@gmail.com