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With the support of the local community and businesses, the Rotary in Knaresborough has installed three defibrillators in the town as part of a UK-wide Rotary project.

According to the Resuscitation Council UK, fewer than one in ten people in the UK survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest, a figure which is improved when a defibrillator is readily available.

But the Rotarians know for the help to be effective, the defibrillators have to be both maintained and put live on the 999 system so that response teams at ambulance headquarters know the location of each unit with its unlock code.

Donation for defibrillators - Knaresborough Harmony Oddfellows group with Rotarian and First Responder Jonathan Beer holding a defibrillator. (Picture Knaresborough Rotary)

In this, the registered charity run by volunteers has been greatly supported by Matti Ward, who works for the National Grid.

A trained First Responder, Matti set up his own charity, Restart Yorkshire, to install and maintain all of the defibrillators in the Knaresborough area.

Recent weeks have seen the Rotarians hold a morning familiarisation and training session at Piccadilly Motors on Boroughbridge Road

Rotarians Jonathan Beer and Brian Souter have also visited Gracious Street Methodist Church where they received a cheque for £200 from the Harmony Oddfellows group.

Expert help on defibrillators - Matti Ward, right, receiving a cheque for his work from Knaresborough Rotary President Jim Moorhouse. (Picture Knaresborough Rotary)

A further £322.68 came from the collection taken at the funeral of the late Rotarian Harry Murray.

It’s hard to over-estimate how vital fundraising is for Knaresborough’s defibrillators.

Once used, the pads inside a defibrillator must be replaced each time at a cost of approximately £120.

If you would like to help, contact [email protected].

Knaresborough Rotary meets weekly at Harrogate Golf Club for friendship and service to the community.

It is part of a global network of volunteers, trying to make the world a better place, from helping local schools to supporting humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

Its volunteers help organise Knaresborough Christmas Market each year with members of Knaresborough Chamber and Knaresborough Lions.

Last year Knaresborough Rotary Club celebrated 60 years of service to the town.

For more information, visit: www.knaresborough.rotary1040.org

Volunteers of Knaresborough Rotary help transform town's provision of defibrillators and save lives