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A life-saving defibrillator has been unveiled outside a Kirkby club thanks to donations from an Ashfield councillor and mining charity.

Bentinck Colliery Miners Welfare Social Club, on Sutton Road, has unveiled its new defibrillator.

Coun Andy Meakin, Ashfield Council member for Abbey Hill ward, donated the defibrillator, while CISWO – The Coal Mining Charity, which support miners’ welfares and families of former and retired miners, donated the cabinet that the defibrillator fits in.

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Bentinck Miners Welfare defibrillator unveiling. John Taylor sec trustees, Coun Andy Meakin and David Whitten chairman trustees.

John Taylor, a 72-year-old volunteer trustee of the charity, said: “It is fantastic to have a defibrillator at the club, if we should ever need it.

“We had a incident a couple of years ago where a woman collapsed inside the welfare and we were not sure what it was.

“We called the ambulance and they gave us an estimated time of four hours, bless them.

“We made arrangements for her to be transported in a private vehicle to King’s Mill where it was discovered she was suffering with some type of fatigue.

“It got us thinking about life-threatening situations where we would need access to equipment such as this.

“The code number is with the emergency services and the appliance is relatively straightforward to use, with instructions inside.”

In an unrelated meeting with Coun Meakin, Mr Taylor said he got talking to the councillor about the club’s need for a defibrillator and plans for possible fundraising to cover the costs – and the councillor kindly offered to donate the defibrillator as part of his budget.

Mr Taylor said: “We are very grateful for this donation. Huge thanks to Andy and CISWO for making this possible.”

The club will be running a special training day with a first responder who will teach people how to support one another in life-threatening situations.

He said: “There are all sorts you can do before a defibrillator is needed, and those life-saving skills are vital and you never know when we might need to intervene.

“I would encourage anyone in the area interested in getting involved and learning how to respond in a serious health situation, to reach out to the club and put yourselves forward for the training.”

Residents interested in participating in the training day can contact the club at [email protected]

New life-saving equipment unveiled outside Kirkby club thanks to donation