Peterborough shopping centre receives access to new defibrillator

The device has been given to Ortongate by Orton Waterville Councillor Kim Aitken as part of the council’s community leadership fund.

Each year elected councillors are allocated £1,000 to spend on neighbourhood projects and can apply to spend it on what they deem to be a worthy cause in their local ward.

Councillor Aitken has decided to use her allocation on the life-saving equipment.

The device works by delivering a high energy electric shock to the heart of the person having a cardiac arrest and can be operated by anyone using the clear instructions provided.

The device was handed over to the Ortongate’s building manager Colin Donisthorpe on Thursday and is to be installed at the shopping centre as soon as possible.

Councillor Aitken said: “ I am happy to have been able to use my Council CLF fund of £1000 towards a new defibrillator for the Orton Centre.

“Having been married to a paramedic, I am very aware of that golden hour when someone is having a heart attack or stops breathing, so it was my privilege to be able to use the money in this way for Orton residents.”