NSMI reaches fundraising target for community Defibrillator
The North Staffordshire Medical Institute (NSMI) successfully reached its £1,999 fundraising target to purchase and install a publicly accessible defibrillator at its premises on Hartshill Road in Stoke-on-Trent.
The achievement followed a year-long community fundraising campaign led by Institute Manager Jacqui Robinson, with support from local residents, organisations and community groups.
The Automated External Defibrillator (AED), supplied by Staffordshire-based charity AED Donate, was intended to provide potentially life-saving support to visitors to the Institute and people living or working in the surrounding area.
A community fundraising success
The fundraising campaign received support from across the local community.
Contributors included AED Donate, Councillor Sean Pender, Hartshill and Harpfields’ Occasions, the local Residents Association, the Rotary Club and local residents.
NSMI contributed the final £337.41 required to reach the £1,999 target, enabling plans for the installation to move forward.
Jacqui Robinson described reaching the target as particularly rewarding and thanked everyone who had contributed to the campaign.
The project demonstrated how local organisations and residents could work together to provide an important resource for the wider Hartshill community.
Providing emergency equipment for Hartshill
The AED was planned for installation on an external wall of the Institute, making it accessible in the event of a cardiac arrest in or around the building.
It was housed within a secure, temperature-regulated cabinet, helping protect the equipment while allowing emergency access when needed.
The cabinet could be opened using a security code supplied through the ambulance service following a 999 call.
Designed for public use, an AED automatically analyses a casualty’s heart rhythm and provides clear instructions, only delivering a shock when appropriate.
This meant the equipment could be used by a member of the public even without previous defibrillator training, with emergency call handlers able to provide further guidance.
The importance of rapid Defibrillation
Cardiac arrest is a medical emergency in which the heart suddenly stops pumping blood effectively around the body.
When this happens outside a hospital, immediate action can make a significant difference. Starting CPR and using an available defibrillator as quickly as possible can substantially improve a casualty’s chances of survival while emergency services are on their way.
Installing a publicly accessible AED at the Institute therefore provided an important additional emergency resource for Hartshill.
Supporting the wider community
Although the North Staffordshire Medical Institute has long been associated with medical research, education and professional events, the successful defibrillator appeal also demonstrated its connection with the wider local community.
The £1,999 fundraising target was achieved through a collective effort involving staff, residents and community organisations.
The project marked another example of the Institute and the organisations associated with today’s Wade Charitable Foundation supporting initiatives with the potential to make a positive difference to people in Stoke-on-Trent.