Residents and councillors in Grayshott have clubbed together to install a defibrillator on the Waggoners Estate.

The installation of the Automated External Defibrillator (AED) came about after a conversation between neighbours Barbara Homer and Keith Clayton.

Barbara and Keith considered their experiences with delays waiting for ambulances to arrive, and decided immediate access to a defibrillator might save lives.

After gathering a team and investigating opportunities from the Community Heartbeat Trust, they organised funding. The majority of residents on the 106-property estate made a personal donation, and considerable donations were received from councillor grants from East Hampshire district councillor Tom Hanrahan and Hampshire county councillor Debbie Curnow-Ford.

One resident agreed to the AED being installed in a code-locked cabinet on their wall, and connected to their electricity supply.

Keith said: “The residents of the Waggoners Estate have raised sufficient funding to maintain the equipment for at least five years and our councillors have supported the scheme because they know it could save lives.

“We all hope the AED won’t be needed, but it does give great peace of mind.”