Groundbreaking London Heart Starters campaign unveils its first defibrillators

The first defibrillators funded by London Ambulance Charity’s London Heart Starters campaign have been installed!

These newly available life-saving devices for neighbourhoods in Stamford Hill West (Hackney) and Barking East (Barking and Dagenham), have been funded as part of this great campaign. The life-saving defibrillators are located at the Amhurst Hotel, Redmond Community Centre in Woodberry Down, the Curzon Community Centre in Northbury, and the King's Heart Church in Havering, Romford.

Hotel Manager Jeff Davies and Community Defibrillator Mick and the installed defibrillator at King's Heart Sam Wilcox and Jeff Davies.
Manager Sam Wilcox. Church in Havering.

Sam Wilcox, Community Defibrillator Manager and Paramedic at London Ambulance Service, described this as a ‘pivotal moment’ and would ‘like to thank everyone for all their help donating to the campaign so far’. She emphasised that ‘the work doesn’t stop here. As well as helping us to reach our target funds, we’re calling on Londoners in our target neighbourhoods to host a defibrillator in their local area.’

In Sam's words, this campaign stresses how vital it is to 'galvanise local communities to improve access to these devices' and to ensure that 'they feel empowered to intervene when a loved one or a neighbour has a cardiac arrest.'

The campaign has raised an incredible £175,000 so far, enough to fund almost 100 defibrillators! The campaign aims to raise a total of £400,000, to purchase 200 additional defibrillators for local communities that need them most, across London.

If you live in an MSOA that we have identified, and know of a place near you that will benefit from having a defibrillator, please contact the team at [email protected].

If you would like to donate to save lives through the London Heart Starters campaign, you can do so here. Thank you for your continued support.

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