New partnership launched to install life-saving equipment across Calderdale and Kirklees

Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity has joined forces with Cardiac Rehabilitation Exercise and Walking Heart Support Group (CREW HSG) to provide more community Public Access Defibrillators (cPADs) in the rural and urban areas across the district.  

Generously funded by CREW, the Calderdale and Kirklees cPAD Scheme has been provided with £10,000 to install up to 20 new cPADs which can be used by bystanders in the event of an emergency to deliver first aid ahead of the arrival of an ambulance should a cardiac arrest happen in the community.  

CREW was founded shortly after the millennium to raise awareness about the importance of regular physical activity in maintaining heart health.  From small beginnings the group started cardiac rehabilitation exercise classes and short walks and have developed over the years, now offering several different exercise classes each week and four different grades of walks.  Through a network of 650 members, the group provides individuals affected by heart-related issues with educational, physical, emotional and social support.   

Former Halifax-based Paramedic Edwin Birks, who worked for Yorkshire Ambulance Service for 36 years before retirement, is the group’s Chairman and Walk Leader.  

Edwin said: “We purchased defibrillators over 15 years ago for our exercise classes and walking groups, and we are now delighted to be able to further support the purchasing of defibrillators for wider communities through our partnership with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity. 

“From my decades of experience within the ambulance service, I know how vital access to these devices really is. Cardiac arrests can happen to anyone at any time, which is why we even take a defibrillator on our walks, and action taken in the first few minutes afterwards can make a huge difference to someone’s chances of survival.”  

Joanne Watson, Community Defibrillation Co-ordinator at Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust, added: “Ideally, we would like to see a life-saving community public access defibrillator in locations which don’t have another device within a 600-metre radius.  

“Less than one in 10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, partly because bystanders are reluctant to perform CPR and a lack of defibrillators. What happens in the first few moments of a cardiac arrest, before the arrival of the ambulance service, is critical. A bystander performing CPR and using a defibrillator can increase the patient’s chances of survival by two to four-fold. For every minute someone is in cardiac arrest without CPR and access to a defibrillator their chances of survival drop by up to 10%.” 

Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity is supporting the scheme by providing the defibrillators and secure cabinets, helping communities with their own fundraising and ensuring that those areas most in need of a cPAD are prioritised. Yorkshire Ambulance Service can also provide free training sessions to communities on how to use the defibrillator once installed. 

Carey Taylor, Head of Charity at Yorkshire Ambulance Service, said: “A huge thank you to CREW for providing the funding for this initiative. Without their support we would not be able to undertake a scheme on this scale for Calderdale and Kirklees.  

“We hope this really makes a difference both in rural and urban areas of Calderdale and Kirklees and we can’t wait to see more defibrillators installed.”  

The Calderdale and Kirklees scheme follows a similar initiative launched in March 2024 which saw Bradford Central Lions Club CIO and Bradford Council provide £20,000 to install up to 40 new community Public Access Defibrillators (cPADs) in the Bradford area.  

Communities can find out more about the scheme and how to apply for funding by visiting the YAS Charity website or by emailing yas.charity@nhs.net