ONE HUNDRED defibrillators have been pledged for locations across Sussex as a result of The Argus Save a Life campaign.

Launched a year ago today, it has already helped to save one life and it is expected even more people will benefit in years to come.

The campaign has more than doubled its original target of 50 pledges and supporters say others are still coming in.

Save a Life has been hailed for “genuinely making a difference” in helping to raise awareness and greater understanding about the importance of the machines and encouraging people to learn basic CPR.

A man in his 90s was saved when he suffered a cardiac arrest in the Hove Club in September and a defibrillator installed as a result of the campaign was used to help him.

Schools, hotels, offices, restaurants, cafes, churches, sports clubs and groups and organisations all came forward to make a pledge for a machine and help make a difference.

Other supporters included Hove-based Norman Cook, who had a machine installed at his seafront café and the Bishop of Chichester Martin Warner, who said they should be installed at all church buildings across the county.

The DJ, also known as Fatboy Slim, said: "The campaign has made a real difference and these defibrillators are important. Anything that can help save a life is a good thing.

"The Big Beach Cafe has one and although thankfully it's never had to use it so far, it's good it's there to help if needed."

Former football commentator Peter Brackley, whose life was saved with the help of a defibrillator earlier this year, has also supported the drive for more machines.

Mr Brackley, 64, who lives in East Preston, near Littlehampton, said: “It's not easy to put into words the full extent of my gratitude towards those who rushed to my aid with their incredible professionalism on the night of my collapse, but suffice to say I owe my life to those wonderful people and to the defibrillator used so effectively.

“These devices are, of course, literally lifesavers - I have had my own personal one implanted under my shoulder now to help me avoid a repeat episode.

“It's obviously essential that as many clubs, pubs, hotels, schools and any other buildings inhabited by groups of people should receive one as soon as possible.”

South East Coast Ambulance Service operations director for Brighton, Tim Fellows, said the campaign had also led to various agencies, councils and organisations working together to come up with more ideas to promote survival and recovery from cardiac arrest.

He said: “The Save a Life campaign basically gave us the exact thrust we needed and really caught peoples’ imaginations.

“We are now getting people coming up and talking about defibrillators and whether they should be getting one.

“A year ago we had a handful of public access defibrillators in Brighton and Hove. Now we have several dozen and there are plans for more.

“It has certainly made a difference and will save more lives.”

Retired cardiologist and founder of the modern paramedic service, Douglas Chamberlain, said: “The idea was to raise awareness of the importance of how, if people suffered a cardiac attest, they needed to be treated with a defibrillator or meaningful CPR within four to five minutes to increase their chances of survival.

“The campaign helped provide a stimulus and continues to do so.

“The publicity also helped people understand that anyone can use the defibrillator and it cannot do any harm but it can save a life.

“Sudden cardiac arrest is not a problem for the ambulance service. It is a problem for the community and the community has been listening thanks to the campaign.

“When you think about what has been achieved, what is being achieved and what will be achieved in the future, there is a lot to be excited about.”

Former East Sussex High sheriff Juliet Smith, who also backed Save a Life, said: “I am proud to have been part of the campaign.

“Even though my year as High Sheriff finished some months ago, I am as enthusiastic as ever to be involved.”

CAMPAIGN’S MOMENTUM

WHEN The Argus launched the Save a Life campaign a year ago today, the message was simple.

We called on hotels, pubs, supermarkets, shop owners, traders, office workers, community organisations, libraries, gyms, schools, colleges, charities and local groups throughout the county to pledge to have defibrillators installed on their premises.

The aim was to ensure all communities had one of the machines within easy distance if a person’s heart suddenly stopped.

The campaign was launched because there are up to 1,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Sussex every year and about 20 per cent of these occur outside the home, often affecting younger age groups.

Survival rates for these patients are currently just five to 10 per cent compared with places like Scandinavia and north America, where the figure more than doubles to 20 per cent or higher.

Investing in a defibrillator could dramatically increase the number of cardiac arrest patients who recover.

The campaign was backed by South East Coast Ambulance Service, former East Sussex High Sheriff Juliet Smith and cardiologist Douglas Chamberlain.

The response was immediate and the original target of 50 pledges was reached within six months and the numbers continued to rise, eventually reaching the 100 mark.

There has already been one case where a person’s life was saved using a defibrillator donated as a direct result of the campaign and supporters say there will be more to come.

More businesses, schools, clubs, organisations and individuals are talking about the machines, CPR and life-saving skills and finding ways to get involved – whether it is raising funds or taking first aid courses.

More easily accessible defibrillators are available and work is continuing to ensure more keep coming in.

Organisations and agencies are working together on further plans to improve first aid and keep the momentum going.

One of the earliest places to sign up was The Bevy community club in Brighton which swiftly raised the money needed and got the machine installed.

Bar manager Georgina Grant-Mills said: “We are really pleased that we have got it here as it gives us good peace of mind.

“We are pleased to continue to support the campaign and urge others to do the same.”

“Fortunately we have not needed to use it yet although there was one occasion when we thought we might have to. Thankfully it got sorted out beforehand.”

One of the aims of the campaign was to encourage more hotels to have defibrillators installed, and following a presentation at a meeting of the Brighton and Hove Hoteliers Association (BHAA), several agreed to press ahead.

This included the Royal Albion, Hilton Brighton Metropole and The Grand.

Chairman Jeremy Ogden said: “There was momentum from the hoteliers and we now have defibrillators in six hotels and I was really pleased with the take up.

“These machines can only help save lives.”

Lions and Rotary groups were also inspired by the campaign and set to work on providing defibrillators in various locations around the county.

The Eastbourne Lions who launched a major drive to get more defibrillators installed in the town.

Machines have been given to two hotels and the pier and the group has also given two new equipment packs to the area’s first responders team.

Lions community services chairman Alec Stephens said: “We have a lot of other plans for defibrillators to come and working with several other organisations and we hope to reveal our plans in January.

“This has all come from the Save a Life campaign.”

Adur East Lions also backed the campaign when its then president Jim Pummell chose the appeal as his project for that year.

Machines were donated to the new Adur Civic Centre, Mayberry Garden Centre in Old Shoreham Road and Ropetackle Arts Centre in Shoreham.

Secamb Brighton operational unit manager Tim Fellows said although people were aware of at least one incident where a life had been saved so far, they may still be others they do not know about.

He said: “The machines being put in will be saving lives well into the future and that can only be a good and positive thing.”

CLUB MEMBER’S LIFE SAVED BY KIT FITTED AT VENUE

A HOVE Rotary Club member is lucky to be alive after collapsing with a sudden cardiac arrest during a meeting in September.

Fortunately for the 90-year-old, the venue for the meeting, the Hove Club in Fourth Avenue, had recently had a defibrillator installed.

The venue is a meeting place for various groups and is also used for functions.

The machine was paid for by the rotary club after members decided to back the Save a Life campaign.

Retired cardiologist Professor Douglas Chamberlain was also at the meeting and arranged for CPR to be carried out while he organised the defibrillator and managed to get the man’s heart started again.

By the time the patient reached the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton he was well enough to give details of his relatives to medical staff and is now recovering well.

Hove Club general manager Judy Humphrey said: “We were so relieved to have had the machine in place following what happened.

“The man who fell ill has been back for two of our lunches already and is looking very well. It is good to see him.

“If the machine had not been there, I’m pretty sure he would not have been here today.

“We have thankfully not had to use the machine since but it is absolutely brilliant knowing it is here and that it has already made such a difference and saved someone.

“To actually see it work for real that day just demonstrated the significant importance of such a lifesaving machine being available.

“It did exactly what it was intended to do and gave out clear messages guiding those performing CPR every step of the way.”

“This is why it is so important so many venues as possible have one.”

Mrs Humphrey has been a stalwart campaigner for the installation of defibrillators over the past three years.

She was chairwoman of Hove Business Association and the group raised funds to place defibrillators at the i360 and the Grace Eyre Foundation in Montefiore Road, Hove.