A BASINGSTOKE primary school has received a defibrillator from a housebuilder which will be accessible to members of the community.

Redrow Southern Counties has donated the lifesaving equipment to St Mary's CE Junior School, Belle Vue Road.

The defibrillator will be kept at the school and will be accessible in the event that a member of the community needs to use the life-saving technology.

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Headteacher Gemma Lillywhite said: “We are grateful to Redrow for ensuring the school, along with the wider community of Old Basing, has access to this life-saving defibrillator. We are pleased to be able to offer peace of mind and a safety net for the community with the provision of this device.

“Redrow’s generous donation marks a connection between the school and the Redrow development, we look forward to welcoming pupils who have found their home at the Redrow just down the road over the coming years.”

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Mark Vanson, sales director at Redrow Southern Counties, added: “Defibrillators are essential medical equipment which hugely increase cardiac arrest survival chances. At Redrow we are proud to play our part in ensuring that communities have easy access to a device that could save a life.

“We pride ourselves on our commitment to building communities that not only serve residents but also those living locally. We are so pleased to be able to continue this type of important work with the help of St Mary’s CE Junior School.”

Each year, more than 30,000 cardiac arrests take place outside of a hospital setting in the UK. According to St John Ambulance, less than one in ten people survive, often because those around them don’t have access to a defibrillator or the skills or confidence to perform CPR.