Lifesaving equipment installed in community centre
Heaven On Severn, a Bewdley‑based charity, has strengthened local emergency preparedness with the installation of a trauma kit and defibrillator at Wribbenhall Community Centre.
Trustee Janet Higginbotham says the equipment, funded by a Worcestershire County Council Public Health grant, has already shown its value. The defibrillator was installed on a Friday and called for the following Tuesday to support a local resident.
Paramedics arrived before it was needed, but the incident underlined how vital quick access to life‑saving equipment can be. The device is now safely back in its cabinet, ready for the next emergency.
The charity plans to run community first aid sessions so residents can practise using the defibrillator, learn CPR and understand how to respond to severe bleeding. The trauma kit, which includes dressings and tourniquets, can be used by anyone without training, giving people the confidence to act in the crucial minutes before an ambulance arrives.
The indices relatively rank each lower super output area (LSOA) in England from most deprived to least deprived.
This type of public health funding exists to strengthen community resilience. When defibrillators and trauma kits are placed where people live, meet and socialise, they reduce response times, improve survival chances and help residents feel safer and more prepared.
Funding is prioritised for areas where access to equipment is limited and where other funding routes have been exhausted, ensuring support goes where it will make the biggest difference.
Organisations can apply for a trauma kit here: Protect – Protection of Premises (Terrorism) Bill | Worcestershire County Council
To find out if you meet the eligibility criteria for a defibrillator please visit: Access to CPR and defibrillators | Worcestershire County Council