The Co-op store in Beaminster, Dorset, is supporting local fundraising efforts to install a defibrillator in the Square.

View News reported that the Co-op held an Easter raffle, raising £180 towards the piece of lifesaving equipment, but that the branch of the nationwide store hasn’t finished helping out just yet.

It is also donating one per cent of customer spend on own-brand products in store towards the community fund, which will raise money for the defibrillator, as well as two other local causes.

The other causes benefiting from the Co-op’s fundraising efforts are the Beaminster Scouts and Mosterton Preschool. The way the firm’s community fund works is that all donations are split equally between the causes, unless the customer specifies that they’d like their contribution to go to a particular fund.

James Peach, manager at the Beaminster Co-op, explained that the store wanted to back the defibrillator fund, which was why it donated the proceeds of the raffle towards the equipment. At a later date, it was also added to the community funds scheme.

Office administrator at Beaminster Town Council Samantha Pearce told the news provider that the council is already preparing people for having the defibrillator in place.

“We did a training session for residents in September, which was really good and inspired us to get one,” she stated.

Defibrillator training is an important part of any project to install public-access AEDs, as it gives people confidence to use them. Earlier this year, Llanidloes Rotary Club ran free defibrillator training for people in the local area to raise awareness of the AED it had installed, and how to use it.

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