Lifesaving kit for Coleford community

Updated: 28 Jan 2025

A £1,800 donation from North Gloucestershire Oddfellows has made it possible for Dora Matthews House, a Extra Care service based in Coleford, within the Forest of Dean, to install a 24-hour publicly accessible defibrillator on its grounds.

(L to R) Garth Morgan (Trustee, Oddfellows North Gloucestershire), Julie Element (Manager, Dora Matthews), Ernie (Resident, Dora Matthews), Alex Walker (Development Officer, Oddfellows North Gloucestershire)

Serving the community

Alex Walker, Development Officer for North Gloucestershire Oddfellows, said: “We are delighted to have funded this vital piece of equipment that the community can access 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

“As a friendly society at the heart of our community, it is important to us that the people in our local area are safe and secure, whether they are members or not.”

The defibrillator is positioned so it can be clearly seen by people in the community who may need to use it in an emergency. It is also registered on ‘The Circuit’ for public use – the British Heart Foundation’s national network of accessible PADs.

North Gloucestershire Oddfellows has funded a number of publicly accessible defibrillators, and their ongoing support, in recent years.

'Thank you, Oddfellows!'

Julie Element, Manager at Ambient Support’s Dora Matthews House, who applied to for the funding, said: “We are very conscious that the current crisis in the NHS, including strikes and increasing ambulance response times, could have dire consequences for the elderly people we support. A defibrillator can help us keep a person alive until the emergency services arrive.

“Part of the criteria was that the defibrillator must be in a public place and Dora Matthews House is situated in the heart of our community. We are next to Parkside, an area of approximately 42 flats and bungalows, which has a part time warden, so we are surrounded by an elderly population.

Quick intervention using a defibrillator can more than double the chances of a person’s survival.

“We were thrilled to win the application and the whole team is incredibly thankful to the Oddfellows as it benefits the people we support, our care team, and the surrounding community. Just knowing it’s there helps peace of mind.”

A defibrillator is an advanced medical tool that delivers a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall. In cardiac arrest, quick intervention using a defibrillator can more than double the chances of a person’s survival.

Ernie Priest, a tenant supported by Ambient at Dora Matthews House, said: “I think it’s a wonderful idea. It makes us feel a little bit safer to know that if one of us suffered a cardiac arrest we would have a better chance of pulling through it with this equipment.

“We’re very grateful to the Oddfellows and to our wonderful care team at Dora Matthews House for making it happen.”

Dora Matthews House is an Extra Care service situated in Coleford which offers housing to over 55-year-olds who wish to live an independent life but may need some assistance with daily living and support. Singles and couples can be accommodated.

Oddfellows branches nationwide

North Gloucestershire Oddfellows is one of 103 branches of the Oddfellows – one of the largest and oldest friendly societies in the UK.

Alex is keen for people who share the values of helping improve the quality of people's lives through friendship, care and charity to find out more about the Oddfellows.

He added: “I would encourage anyone who is interested in learning more about our friendship group’s activities to get in touch and come along to one of our many brilliant social events and see what else the Society has to offer.”

For anyone interested in learning more about the North Gloucestershire Branch and how to get involved, they should contact its Branch Secretary Stuart Walker. He can be reached by email on stuart.walker@oddfellows.co.uk or by calling 01989 564871.

If you're not sure where your nearest Oddfellows Branch is, our handy Branch Finder will help you find it.