A lifesaving piece of equipment has been installed at a Swindon Co-op.

Members of the public and staff at the Your Co-op food store in Abbey Farm raised £2,300 for Community Heartbeat Trust to install a life-saving defibrillator. 

Local charity fundraiser Highworth & District Lions Club generously donated £1,000 towards the vital technology. 

Tom Umney, store manager at Your Co-op, Abbey Farm, said: “We want to say a huge thank you to our charity fundraisers and our amazing colleagues who have made the installation of this lifesaving defibrillator possible.

“We now have trained members of staff on hand who will maintain the defibrillator and make sure it is ready to serve the community.”

With each new installation, Your Co-op provides in-store training workshops for the local community to attend, as well as running regular free online sessions hosted by Community Heartbeat Trust to create wider awareness.

Community Heartbeat Trust also trains colleagues to check the equipment once a week to make sure the defibrillators are always 'rescue-ready' and able to save lives for many years to come.  

Lifesaving defibrillators have proven to be invaluable at Co-op stores across the UK as they were used 30 times throughout 2023.