Our community response to Covid-19.

AEDdonate have continued to support communities during the coronavirus pandemic. Now we need your support.

At the beginning of the pandemic it was a shock to have to send our team home not knowing when we would see them again. Amongst all of the other questions, our biggest one was how we keep 1900 defibrillators in communities all over the UK going but, like everyone else we adapted. The dining table became an office, the garage became a stock room and the phone lines were diverted. As a small charity we maintained our 24-hour telephone number and we were there, ready and able to help when required. During lockdown we completed nearly 200 site visits to either replenish pads and batteries or to check a machine following a defib activation. The pure cost of consumables came to a total of £13,875.00 yet we still delivered to our communities to ensure defibs are ready should they be needed. This came at a time when our funding for the lockdown period dropped by 85.8%. Fundraising stopped, choir stopped, shops closed, events and community training sessions were cancelled. Defibrillator activations increased like we have never seen before which really shows the worth of defibrillators in the community. It was amazing to hear that some of our machines saved lives in a time when the NHS is under so much pressure. The work that was carried out during lockdown was funded by our charity shops and our office has received no funding from the government scheme.

We got the green light to open our shops on the 15th June and we had 1000’s of items donated which has allowed our retail sites to very quickly get back on their feet. We thank all of our customers who have visited our shops, we know that this is a very anxious time. Protecting our customers had to be our number one priority and its fantastic to see everyone adapting to the new normal but still supporting us.

Chair of Trustees, Gaye Blake-Roberts said; The ‘Covid 19’ pandemic has disrupted everyone’s lives recently but AEDdonate have continued to save lives through the distribution and ongoing maintenance of their defibrillators.  The closure of their charity shops has meant a huge loss of income, without receiving other financial support, during the lockdown but families have seen loved ones survive due to the prompt use of CPR and the deployment of defibrillators.

AEDdonate saves lives but needs as much support as the community can give to maintain their valuable work. Nobody knows when they, or someone they know, might need AEDdonate’s help and assistance especially at this difficult time for Britain.

How you can help? You can donate your preloved items to our shops, its always worth checking our social media pages to ensure we have capacity for donations or drop us a call on 01785 472224. If you would like to make a donation towards our charity you can do by visiting our website on www.aeddonate.org.uk/donate