Cash boost for defib charity

Acharity, which is based in Stone, has received a cash boost thanks to a water and waste company.

AEDdonate has received a grant of £67,290 from Severn Trent Water.

A spokesman for Severn Trent said: “More than 19,092 people living in Staffordshire are benefitting from grants from the Severn Trent Community Fund, as £239,873 was awarded across six local projects in the last year. Projects spanning the region have been supported by the Fund, which includes improvements of more than 2.5 acres of local environment.”

The latest supported projects include SPLA Staffordshire CIC – SPLAT Communities, which provides inclusive play sessions for children from 412 years old, and support and train unemployed young people, with the funding to go towards running sessions in three additional communities; and AEDdonate, which works with local groups including schools, communities, businesses and clubs to raise awareness of sudden cardiac arrest and provides public access defibrillators.

Sue Heyes, Severn Trent Community Fund Advisor, said: “Over the last year, the Community Fund has provided grants to a really broad range of different projects, like SPLAT and AEDdonate, which can have a genuinely positive - and literally lifesaving - impact on the wellbeing of people in these communities.

“We are continually on the lookout for projects such as these which offer a genuinely fantastic service to local people but lack the necessary funding to get going. We would love to hear from any community-based organisation which feels that they have a fantastic project that would benefit from a funding boost.”

For more information on the Severn Trent Community Fund and to read a full copy of the 2022/23 annual report, visit stwater.co.uk and search for Community Fund.