Burnham Heartbeat Project

On Sunday 13th March, the new Parish Clerk for Burnham, Sheridan Edward, will be running the Silverstone Half Marathon to raise £5,000 to provide community public access defibrillators for Burnham.

Automated external defibrillators or AEDs are portable devices used by first aiders to treat patients in certain cases of sudden cardiac arrest. They are located in public places and can be accessed 24-hours a day. They automatically diagnose a patient?s condition and, if appropriate, can deliver a shock to reestablish an effective rhythm. They are designed to be simple to use by any member of the public, without the need for any training.

Sudden cardiac arrest happens to around 1 in 1000 of the population each year, making it one of the country's largest killers. The potential for saving life is time-dependent. Clinical studies suggest you have less than 5 minutes from the event to save the life, this decreasing by up to 23% per minute. AEDs can provide a vital lifeline in many cases of sudden cardiac arrest, in advance of paramedics arriving.

At present, there are no defibrillators in Burnham that are accessible 24 hours a day. Sheridan's aim is to raise £5,000 to provide and install four defibrillators in vandal-proof cabinets at key points throughout the village. Once achieved, the vast majority of residents will have an AED within 400 metres of their house.

For more information contact the Parish Clerk, Sheridan Edward, on 01628 550385 or clerk@burnhamparish.gov.uk.

(All funds raised online wil be held by Burnham Health Promotion Trust and given to the Parish Council to hold in a fund ringfenced solely for the supply and installation of the defibrillators.)