On Friday 26 November, Cllr. Kathleen Pratt, mayor of Hyndburn, proudly revealed the newly installed defibrillator at Maundy Relief on Abbey Street in Accrington.

The life-saving medical equipment was installed to the universal approval of staff, supporters and visitors to the charity.

Especially delighted with the new addition on site was nurse June Dawson, who is based at Maundy Relief several days a week.

Manager at Maundy Relief, Lucy Hardwick, commented:

‘We were delighted to welcome the mayor of Hyndburn and her consort for the unveiling of our new defibrillator.

‘This device is much needed resource for our community and we are very grateful to Beccy, Emily and Alan whose fundraising efforts made it possible.

‘With over 100,000 UK hospital admissions annually due to heart attacks, we hope our defibrillator will give residents in need the best possible chance of survival.’

These sentiments were echoed by the mayor, who said:

‘It was an honour to be invited to officially declare the defibrillator at Maundy Relief available for use, even though the hope is that it’s not needed.

‘It should provide a little more peace-of-mind for visitors and staff at the charity and other nearby locations.

‘Whether residents are unwell, or in perfect health, unexpected things can always happen and it’s important to take steps like these to protect our communities.’

Maundy Relief is a registered charity that provides immediate help to Hyndburn residents, when needed, regardless of age, gender, religion or sexuality.

They support people with counselling and advice, access to food, housing, healthcare, household goods, substance abuse and anger management.