Diocese of York / News & events / News

A lifesaving defibrillator has been fitted outside The Church of the Holy Redeemer in Boroughbridge Road, York.

The device, which delivers an electric current to restart the heart when someone is in cardiac arrest, has been placed in a prominent position on the outside of the church hall, and is available for the community to use.

It can be seen from the busy Boroughbridge Road and has been registered with the Yorkshire Ambulance Service (YAS), meaning that any member of the public can access it, by calling 999 for instructions.

The device is designed to be used by someone with no medical training, with an in-built speaker giving simple step-by-step instructions to operate.

It was purchased by the Church in partnership with Yorkshire Ambulance Service Charity and The Pavers Foundation and with support from the Spirit of Harmony Men’s Barbershop Chorus and The Shepherd Group Band, who held fundraising concerts in the Church to raise funds towards the defibrillator.

Vicar of Holy Redeemer the Revd Simon Biddlestone thanked all those who had helped with the purchase and installation of the defibrillator: “It’s good news for the whole community as anybody can use it. We hope that it never needs to be used, but if it does it could save someone’s life.”

Pictured left to right: Richard Wilton, Musical Director of The Shepherd Group Brass Band; Becky Philpott, Multiply Lay Leader at Holy Redeemer; Helen Ashby, PCC Vice Chair; the Revd Simon Biddlestone, Vicar of Holy Redeemer, All Saints Upper Poppleton and St Everilda’s Nether Poppleton; Dean Whitehouse and Nick Bryant of the Spirit of Harmony Men’s Barbershop Chorus.

holyredeemeryork.com