Letter: Boxgrove Park Gets a Defibrillator Thanks to Kind Local Sponsors

Published on: 1 Apr, 2023
Updated on: 30 Mar, 2023

From Derek Payne, who chairs the Boxgrove Park Residents’ Association

After a few months of planning and organising, Boxgrove Park Residents’ Association is proud to say we now have a defibrillator installed.

The defibrillator is a very useful and potentially life-saving piece of equipment, and we are delighted to say it has been installed in a cabinet at the end of the Boxgrove Park parade of shops.

Bosgrove Park defibrilator from left: Cllr Fiona Davidson (SCC councillor); Derek Payne; Lieve Davies (RSM Domestic Appliances shop manager); Karen Howard (office manager, Bevan Wilson Physiotherapy Clinic); Jerry Peacock (Peacocks Deli); Steve Jenner (staff member at The Guildford Butchery); the Mayor of Guildford, Dennis Booth and the Mayoress, Mary Booth.

The funds were raised by very kind sponsorship from Fiona Davidson (local councillor from Surrey County Council), four local shops (Bevan Wilson, RSM Domestic Appliances, The Guildford Butchery and Peacocks Deli), Flex Electrical (local business run by Steve Boulter) and the Boxgrove Park Residents’ Association.

Having this in place provides a much higher chance of survival should anyone be unfortunate enough to suffer a cardiac arrest or cardiac event in the area.

Prior to it being installed, the nearest defibrillators to Boxgrove Park were located in Burpham and Merrow, outside of the recommended effective travel time for use in the Boxgrove area.

For every minute that someone is in cardiac arrest without receiving CPR and having a defibrillator used on them, their chance of survival decreases by 10%.

This is very much a collaborative initiative with our local councillors, shops, businesses and the residents’ association. The willingness to engage and support has been fantastic.

Whilst we can hope that it is never needed, it is a great comfort to know that it is available for the community and visitors to Boxgrove and surrounding areas.