New Defibrillator for Newport City Centre

The Salvation Army has teamed up with rough sleepers support charity Eden Gate to purchase a new Heart Defibrillator for Newport City Centre.

The Salvation Army and Eden Gate have worked closely together during the course of the Pandemic. Both charities came together alongside other local homeless charities, to arrange accommodation and food for the homeless from the beginning of the first lockdown.

 “There are defibrillators appearing in parts of town but nothing in this area. As we deal with lonely people, mainly of the older age group, it seemed to be the best way forward” says Envoy Raymond Baynes, an officer from The Salvation Army at  Newport.

"We have enjoyed a great working relationship with Eden Gate homeless centre for many years and The Salvation Army are pleased to be able to work together in this way for the benefit of the city.

“We hope the defibrillator is never needed, that would be the best scenario, but if an emergency situation arises, we are now one step closer to saving a life".

Eden Gate Operations Manager, Fran Richley, says: “Access to a defibrillator is key to saving a life, as each minute wasted reduces the chances of saving that person by 10%. With this in mind, we felt that installing this new defibrillator on an exterior wall made the most sense, as that way it is available to everyone in the community via the Emergency Services.”

The heart defibrillator was installed by a local electrician, Ryan Milton, without cost to the charities involved.