Rotary Club wants Warwick to be as safe as Saumur

Saumur, which is only slightly larger than Warwick, has 16 potentially life-saving devices placed around its busiest streets, schools and public buildings.

Roger Smith, president of Warwick Rotary Club, has said members will do all they can to equip Warwick with at least the same number of defibrillators.

Mr Smith said: “The idea came from a number of different sources.

“One of our members, Tony Bayliss, lives in Barford and they already have one so he gave us a presentation which started our interest.

“I’m also a member of Warwick Twinning Association and I get a copy of Saumur’s magazine each month and in the last one it mentioned how many defibrillators the town has.

“We started talking about doing something and then we saw the article in the Courier and Weekly News and it made me realise we need to get organised. We are keen to get involved and do whatever is required.”

Launched by the non-profit organisation Defibfinder two weeks ago, The Heart of England Defibrillator Campaign’s first aim is to find the locations of any devices in Leamington, Warwick, Kenilworth and surrounding areas and have them registered for an online map which can be easily accessed by a computer or smartphone.

Readers, businesses, schools, and medical centres are encouraged to contact the organisation or the Courier or Weekly News.

Meanwhile Defibfinder is supporting SADS UK’s Big Shock appeal which is encouraging the government to have defibrillators in every school.

Adrian Lewis, the Leamington businessman who founded Defibfinder, said: “Each year around 250 pupils die in school - usually from a previously undetected heart condition.

“An AED together with good quality CPR can increase a child’s chances of survival ten fold.”

To register a device or for more information call 778504, visit www.defibfinder.org or contact the Courier and Weekly News on 457706.