An appeal is underway to pay for a defibrillator to be installed in Stroud town centre.

“It’s crazy a town the size of Stroud does not already have an easily accessible one already in place," says Jenny Harding, who has set up a crowdfunding page for an AED (automated external defibrillator) device.

Sudden cardiac arrest is a leading cause of premature death - and immediate treatment can save lives.

Yet there are no 24 hour publicly accessible defibrillators in the centre of Stroud, according to the town council.

There’s one in the bowling alley as well as the Crown and Sceptre but, as Jenny points out, these are too far from the high street for use in a situation where time is of the essence.

The town’s dental surgeries also have defibs on site, with all staff trained to use them, but these aren’t registered with the ambulance service and nor are they available 24 hours a day.

Jenny is working with the town council to get four AEDs eventually installed in Stroud town centre.

She’s so far raised £160 of her £1,645 target for the first.

The town council has also sent out letters to local businesses calling for donations.

And more fundraising events are on their way.

To donate, visit Jenny’s page here: https://bit.ly/2HrXf50