Rural campaigners are spearheading a fundraising drive to provide a life-saving defibrillator for farmers to use in the event of an emergency at Shrewsbury Auction Centre.
Auctioneer Halls are supporting a fundraising drive by Shropshire Rural Support (SRS) charity to provide a life-saving defibrillator, which will be available for public use.
The combined fundraising target is £1,700 and SRS is encouraging farmers to contribute to collection buckets at the livestock market.
The defibrillator partnership is an extension to free health checks service for farmers which is being trialled by Shropshire Council’s community wellbeing outreach team at the livestock market for four weeks.
Shropshire Rural Support chairman Andrew Bebb, a dairy farmer from Hanwood, near Shrewsbury, said he would like to see a community access defibrillator at every livestock market in Shropshire.
“First responders are doing a brilliant job in Shropshire and having a community access defibrillator at Shrewsbury Auction Centre will be a lifesaver,” he said.
“If somebody had an car accident or a heart attack near to the market, the nearest community access defibrillator is eight minutes away, which could be a matter of life or death.
He added: “I would like to see a community access defibrillator in every livestock market in Shropshire.
"I have been on a first responder training course to learn how to use a defibrillator and I would encourage others to do the same."
Mr Bebb was the driving force behind the free health checks for farmers, provided at Shrewsbury Auction Centre by Shropshire Council, with plans to extend the services.
James Evans, a director of Halls and an auctioneer at Shrewsbury and Bishops Castle livestock markets, said staff at the market would be trained to use the defibrillator.
“We have farmers of all ages coming to the market and if the defibrillator saves one life, then it’s worthwhile."
Anybody wishing to make a donation to the fundraising for the defibrillator can either contact Andrew Bebb on 07811 779557 or Jonny Dymond at Shrewsbury Auction Centre on 01743 462620.
