The old telephone box opposite the Weston Cross in Weston-under-Penyard has been completely refurbished and is ready to receive its defibrillator.

The box has been lovingly restored by a local team, pictured above. This group have spent many hours restoring the telephone box and they have also been raising money to provide other defibrillators elsewhere in the Parish in due course.

Although no prior medical knowledge is needed to use the device, arrangements have been made for the Community Heartbeat Trust to give local volunteers training in its use. This training will be held at the Village Hall in Weston on Saturday, October 1st and another session will commence on Saturday, October 15th.

After the training, the team will install the defibrillator in the restored telephone box.

A defibrillator is a portable electrical device, designed for use by people who have little or no medical background, which shocks the heart back into a normal rhythm after a heart attack. A rapid response with a defibrillator, whilst waiting for the emergency services to arrive, can prevent unnecessary damage to a victim’s brain which would otherwise be starved of oxygen. The quicker this happens, the better the chance of survival.