Hedon Methodist Church has been awarded £1,000 from Cadey (Community Access Defibrillators for East Yorkshire) to install a life-saving defibrillator – and hosted local MP Graham Stuart on Friday to receive the funding.
The church’s fundraising was spurred into action by Ray Longhorn who, following a friend suffering a sudden cardiac arrest, asked the church’s stewards if they could start a fundraiser.
Over the course of coffee mornings and individual donations from organisations such as the local branch of the Women’s Institute, which uses the church for its meetings, it managed to raise £1,300 towards the cost of a defibrillator, secure in the knowledge that Cadey would fund the remaining £1,000.
Cadey was set up by Mr Stuart in 2018 to highlight the then “shocking lack of defibrillators” in East Yorkshire and has since installed 11 defibrillators in communities across the East Riding, and a box for the defibrillator at Beverley Rugby Club.
The campaign, which is supported by the HEY Smile Foundation and Yorkshire Ambulance Service, also donated a defibrillator to Ukraine in 2022.
Cadey offers match funding for communities looking to fundraise for a life-saving defibrillator, alongside advice for its upkeep over the years.
In May, Mr Stuart called on remaining communities to see if they can help plug the gaps in the defibrillator network.
He has identified sites at Meaux, Swine, Arram, Burton Constable, Winestead, East Newton, Waxholme, Hilston, Scorborough, Weeton, Rolston, Wyton and Nunkeeling as sites for the defibrillators.
Mr Stuart said he was proud that Cadey had part-funded defibrillators in Elstronwick, Hornsea, Mappleton, Molescroft, Skeffling, South Dalton, Sunk Island, Thearne, Thorngumbald, West Newton and Woodmansey.
He said: “Hedon Methodist Church really is the best of East Yorkshire, and it’s because of the groups at the church that Cadey was able to support its goal of getting a defibrillator.
“Ray is a legend of Hedon and the defibrillator which will be installed very soon is a great legacy for a great man.”
Val Hoff, steward at Hedon Methodist Church, said: “Hedon Methodist Church and its various users are grateful to everyone who supported our fundraising efforts for a defibrillator.
“We would like to thank the donations received from the WI and the Craft Group which helped bolster our funds.
“Thanks also go to Cadey for supporting our application for a defibrillator and making it a straightforward process.
“We are looking forward to having our defibrillator installed shortly which will benefit the community of Hedon.”
