Residents “can’t believe” there isn’t a defibrillator already on the green

A Cambridge woman is fundraising to get a defibrillator fitted outside of her coffee kiosk in a busy city park. Amanda Langley, the owner of Kiosk on the Green, which can be found on Jesus Green, has started a campaign to get a life-saving defibrillator placed for people to use at any time of the day.

Ms Langley said: “We have been thinking about this for a while because we are in such a prominent position and there are so many people that use the space on Jesus Green, from people playing tennis and people paddle boarding. There are kids playing and a skate park. We have the lido as well.

The closest defibrillator to the green is in an office block across the River Cam but they are only open on weekdays. Ms Langley decided the area needed one that was “easily accessible” and available everyday and started to raise money to buy the kiosk its own defibrillator.

She added: “I thought if anything happened, it’s quite a difficult place to get to. You have to come over the bridge. If anything happened, how would we get help over here quick enough?”

According to the British Heart Foundation, around 3,300 people suffer out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the East of England each year. But only one in 12 people survive.

Jesus Green is used by hundreds of people each day including runners, rowers, and those visiting the lido. Ms Langley added: “People have passed out here and have fallen ill before. I haven’t seen anyone have a heart attack but I thought what if somebody did and they needed help quickly?”

To raise the money needed, Ms Langley has placed a QR code the kiosk and on the Jesus Lock Bridge to encourage people to donate. The fundraiser is already over halfway to its target.

As well as customers at the kiosk, many local businesses have got involved to help Ms Langley reach her target. She added: “One of the punt companies, Let’s Go Punting, put in £100. RHP architects, who often visit us from their office, they’ve all put in £20 or £30 each. The businesses around here are supporting us as well.”

Many members of the public have mentioned they “can’t believe” there isn’t a defibrillator on Jesus Green already. Ms Langley said people are “really happy” about the campaign and what it hopes to achieve.

June Davison, senior cardiac nurse at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), said: “Early CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of surviving an out of hospital cardiac arrest so having swift access to one of these lifesaving devices nearby can be the difference between life and death.

“Every defibrillator has the power to save a life, so it’s fantastic to see people working to have them installed across local communities, where they can make a real difference. We encourage all defibrillator guardians to register their device on The Circuit, the UK‑wide database that maps defibrillators for use by emergency services. Registration is quick and easy, and it ensures 999 call handlers can direct a bystander to the nearest available defibrillator in the event of a cardiac arrest. By doing so, you could help save a life.”

Ms Langley wants to get the defibrillator fitted on the kiosk by summer. She said: “I just want to get the fundraiser over the line now and get the defibrillator operational for spring and summer. That’s obviously when we’re most busy. If we could get it running by then, it would be amazing”.

You can donate to the fundraiser for the defibrillator by visiting the My Community Defib website.