Tuesday 2nd January 2024 - Village Defibrillator

The following article has kindly been provided by villager, Glo Begley. It provides details of the history behind the original Village Defibrillator and its replacement. After reading this, I am sure you will agree with me that, both Glo and her husband Jamie (also known in the village as James or Jim), are to be commended for all work they have done over the years, both for ensuring the village has an operating defibrillator and to Jamie for his dedication as a first responder.

The Strand Club instigated the raising of funds for the provision and siting of the Overstrand defibrillator and cabinet in 2011.

The Strand Club approached the Overstrand Parish Council (OPC) about using the BT phone box in Harbord Road and were willing to pay for refurbishing it.  After a battle with OPC, over the siting and responsibility of the defibrillator and cabinet, the parish council drew up a very complex contract with required me (Glo) to sign and pay to rent the phone box from the Council.  The Strand Club declined to accept the terms, laid down by OPC, as Darren Walsgrove who offered to site the equipment on the Cliff Road side of the White Horse Public House, was a more viable option and he also insured the equipment and paid for the use of the electrical supply.

The Strand Club set aside funds, consisting of the excess from the original fund raising, for maintenance.

As The Strand Club members were mainly elderly, Josie the then club Treasurer asked if they could be relieved of responsibility without jeopardising maintenance.

A charitable bank account was set up in the name of THE FRIENDS OF THE OVERSTRAND & CROMER COMMUNITY FIRST RESPONDERS, in order to support the local first responders and any money left in the ringfenced account of The Strand Club was transferred into the new account.  Over the course of ten years the responder account has continued to grow and has provided all necessary equipment for local responders.  There are now no Overstrand based first responders so, as Jamie (Glo’s husband and former first responder) and I are now in our late 70’s, we wish to close the account leaving new blood to take over, should a local first responder group ever be re-formed.  We did not want that money or equipment to lay idle.  After several thousands of pounds of equipment and training aids had been distributed between other first responder groups, we still had just over three thousand pounds in the account which was enough to replace the original defibrillator and cabinet, bringing history full circle.

After paying for the installation of the new cabinet and electrical supply, if there is a small amount of money left, this has been offered but not yet accepted by OPC to be ringfenced for the continued maintenance.  It was to be brought up at the December meeting but was missed off the agenda.

We have purchased the new defibrillator and cabinet.  The electrician is booked to install the cabinet on 9th January 2024.

Glo Begley