A COMMUNITY of park homes in Sampford Courtenay is set to have a defibrillator installed thanks to efforts by one of the residents.

Kim Allsebrook, who lives at The Beeches with her husband, has persuaded a number of donors to contribute towards the lifesaving equipment.

She believes the device, used to restart the heart in cases of heart attacks, could save lives in the cut-off community between Okehampton and North Tawton.

‘The majority of people here are elderly and we are in the middle of nowhere,’ she said. ‘I’ve lived here for five years and I’m one of the youngest ones here. There is no public transport at all and we’re four miles from Okehampton and three and a half from North Tawton, so if someone was to have a heart attack, then by the time anyone got down here, the person having a heart attack would be dead. We are a forgotten community and I felt it was my mission to do something about it.’

After a concerted campaign, she has secured donations and pledges to cover the cost of the £1,200 defibrillator and the £500 cost of a weather resistant cabinet to house the lifesaving equipment.

She also wants to establish a fund for ongoing maintenance costs.

Her appeal was kickstarted by a £600 contribution from the British Heart Foundation and she has since obtained a number of donations locally.

County councillor James McInnes has donated £600 from funds allocated by Devon County Council for the project, while Okehampton Rotary Club has promised £200 and the town’s Lions £100, residents are donating £300 and the park owners are giving £150.

Negotiations are now in progress to obtain access to electricity on the site, so that the defibrillator can be installed in a central part of the site, beside the noticeboard.

Mrs Allsebrook will be undertaking free training to learn how to use the equipment with the charity OkePADs in the next few weeks.

Cllr McInnes said he was delighted to be able to support the project, using some of the county council funds he is allocated each year to help projects in the area.

‘The Beeches is a real little community and it would really benefit from having a defibrillator,’ he said.

‘There must be more than 30 bungalows there.’