A woman’s five-year battle to get a defibrillator for her village has been achieved.
Barbara Medhurst first began campaigning for a heart-start machine for Ramshaw in 2021, and though it would be relatively easy to achieve after getting funding from then county councillor James Cosslett’s neighbourhood budget.
However, she was soon faced with the difficult task of where to put it.
She said: “At one time we wanted to put it on the pub, that was because the gentleman who had the pub was going to put it on his wall, but it didn’t work out like that.”
Cllr Cosslett added: “That is because you can’t put it on private land using public money. We wanted to put it on a lamppost, but things have changed, if you put it on a lamppost you must have a separate meter for it, so they know who to charge for the power.”
Putting it on a private home was also not an option.
Evenwood parish Council chairman Cllr Bobo Bolden: “In fairness to Barbara, everything that could go wrong did.
“Every time we saw light at the end of the tunnel someone switched it back off again.”
Fortunately, the cash had been ring-fenced for the project and was still available years later despite Cllr Cosslett losing his county council seat at last year’s election. He did, however, retain his Evenwood and Barony Parish Council seat.
With help from the parish council a much more expensive solar-powered defibrillator was sourced and the extra cash needed was provided by the parish council.
Five years ago, the nearest defibrillators to Ramshaw was at the Randolph Community Centre in Evenwood, and the Sportsman pub at Toft Hill.
Cllr Medhurst, who has since joined Evenwood and Barony Parish Council as a member, described achieving her goal as “absolutely brilliant”.
Cllr Bolden said: “It is a tribute to Barbara’s tenacity. I am glad we got it over the line for her.”
