A decommissioned phone box is set to be transformed into a life-saving facility to ensure residents of a remote community have help in an emergency.
A defibrillator, donated by local accountancy firm JF Hornby & Co, will be installed in the former BT phone booth on Piel Street on Roa Island.
The equipment was recently handed over, and plans are now underway for its installation, pending official adoption of the phone box by Barrow Town Council.
Paula Boyd from JF Hornby & Co handed the defibrillator and its casing over to Councillor Paul Griffiths.
She said: “We want every community on the Furness peninsula to have access to a defibrillator, which is why we launched our Have a Heart campaign.
“Roa Island has permanent residents and also attracts thousands of visitors over the course of a year as it is the pick-up point for the popular Piel Island ferry.
“Of course, we hope this defibrillator is never needed, but its presence in a central location on Roa Island means it is accessible 24/7 should the worst happen.
“It was wonderful to meet Paul; his desire to support and serve the local community was very clear, and I’m confident he will now ensure the defibrillator is fitted and operational as soon as possible.”
The JF Hornby & Co Have a Heart campaign was launched on Valentine’s Day this year with a pledge of £5,000 to deliver four defibrillators to communities most in need.
Due to the volume of requests, managing director Paul Hornby doubled the pledge to £10,000, meaning eight of the life-saving devices could be bought.
Funding is being provided by The Hornby Foundation, which is the company’s charitable arm.
A partnership has been forged with the British Heart Foundation, from whom the Hornby Foundation is buying the equipment.
Cllr Griffiths said, “Having discussed with BT, I am pleased to confirm that Barrow Town Council will adopt the phone box at Roa Island, and once BT has removed the phone, this will become home to this valuable piece of life-saving equipment.
“I hope it is never needed, but if a medical incident should occur, this potentially will make the difference between life and death until the emergency services arrive. I would like to thank JF Hornby & Co Accountants for the extremely kind donation of a defibrillator; this is a fantastic example of a local company going above and beyond to support the community.”
Mr Hornby added: “This is the second defibrillator we have handed over, with the first going to Ford Park in Ulverston.
“Our mission is to make life-saving equipment accessible to as many communities as possible across the area we serve as a business.
“We are still looking for requests and suggestions, so please get in touch if you think we can help your town, village or community.”
Email jfh@jfhornby.com to nominate an area
