MP welcomes more defibrillators for South Lakeland

South Lakes MP Tim Farron has praised local councillors Colin Jones and Clare Feeney-Johnson for securing funds to install lifesaving equipment. Both councillors have secured a defibrillator each for Kendal and Windermere.

Clare Feeney-Johnson has paid, from the allowance every councillor receives to improve their area, for a defibrillator and cabinet to be fitted on to the Kendal United Football Club building on Monday 30th June. The team, based at Castle Drive in Kendal will host the life saving device.

Colin has also secured for funds to purchase the defibrillator, which will be placed on the outside of a building in his Bowness North ward. In Windermere, the plan is to place defibrillators in all four Windermere wards over a period of time, working in conjunction with Windermere Town Council.

The defibrillators are part of a campaign to install the machines in locations across the county. If an emergency occurs the 999 service will give the caller the location of the nearest machine along with the key code so that treatment can be administered while the ambulance is on its way.

Tim said: "This is great news - I'd like to congratulate Colin and Clare for securing this funding. A person's chance of survival decreases 10 per cent every minute that passes without defibrillation, so applying a defibrillator within the first four minutes of collapse means the patient has the best possible chance of surviving."

Councillor Colin Jones added: "I'm really pleased we've been able to bring a new defibrillator to WIndermere. We plan to work with the local first responders to hold some road shows to inform local residents about the use of the defibrillator."