St Mary’s Great Yarmouth receives life-saving defibrillator

St Mary’s Church in Great Yarmouth celebrates the addition of a new defibrillator, the 300th installed by Heart 2 Heart Norfolk, enhancing local emergency response capabilities. Brian Lafferty reports.

St Mary’s Church in Great Yarmouth is pleased to announce the installation of their new defibrillator on February 29, donated by the local charity Heart 2 Heart Norfolk. This marks the 300th life-saving machine installed by the organisation across Norfolk and Suffolk. Discussions about bringing a defibrillator to the church began five years ago between Brian Lafferty, Chairman of St Mary’s Church Finance Committee, and Jayne Biggs, founder of Heart 2 Heart Norfolk. While unforeseen circumstances caused a temporary delay, the project is finally complete.

“In the past, we’ve had medical emergencies where retrieving a defibrillator required a significant distance,” explains Brian Lafferty. “Having this new defibrillator readily available gives us much more confidence, knowing every second counts in these situations.”

Heart 2 Heart Norfolk generously provided the defibrillator and cabinet. Breckland Fabrications Ltd and Jorge Silva Carpentry collaborated on constructing the housing frame, with final assembly completed by Jorge Silva Carpentry and electrical functionality ensured by Bowers & Barr Ltd. This collaborative effort ensures the equipment is easily accessible for public use.

The defibrillator is registered with the National Defibrillator Network. When calling 999, the ambulance service will provide the code to access the cabinet.

“Fr Anthony of St Mary’s Church is proud to have this vital piece of equipment serve our community.”

Heart 2 Heart Norfolk is a volunteer-run, non-profit organisation dedicated to saving lives by increasing access to defibrillators throughout the region.

Pictured above, from the left, are Fr Anthony Nwankwo, Brian Lafferty and Jayne Biggs from Great Yarmouth.

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