While COVID-19 has put pressure on our club finances, we have the opportunity in partnership with the Cricket Club Charity and the ECB to install a defibrillator for emergency use by club members, visitors and members of the public using the Wychwood Wild Garden. To do this we need to raise about £1,000. A cardiac arrest can be triggered by many factors and this can be fatal if treatment is not commenced within five minutes of the collapse of the patient. Due to our rural location, professional help may not arrive within this very short timescale, but there is a potential solution by using the portable defibrillator - which gives an electric shock to ‘reboot’ the heart - whilst awaiting professional help. The wall mounted cabinet is the latest design which automatically monitors and remotely reports the readiness of the unit for use while also recording its usage. We all hope that this piece of equipment never needs to be used, but there is ample evidence that it saves lives.

What we'll deliver:

• A publicly accessible defibrillator.

Why it's a great idea:

A cardiac arrest (the stoppage of the heart muscle) can be triggered by many factors: a heart attack; an undiagnosed heart condition; a ball hitting batsman or fielder in the chest or on the head. It can affect any age group from teenage to pensioner, and all between; player and spectator alike. A defibrillator is a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. This high energy shock is called defibrillation, and it's an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who’s in cardiac arrest.

Steps to get it done:

• Place order for the defibrillator
• Install the defibrillator

With the impact of the Covid 19 crisis, it would be irresponsible to use existing club funds to finance this worthwhile project, hence why we are appealing for new funds to cover it.