Project using cash from the 5p carrier bag charge has installed over 60 defibrillators across Birmingham and the West Midlands

Posted by rob smyth | Published: 05/01/2018

Over 60 lifesaving pieces of equipment have been placed in the heart of the community in Birmingham and the West Midlands by Central England Co-operative thanks to funds raised by the 5p carrier bag levy.

The Society has installed a total of 300 defibrillators at its food stores and funeral homes across 16 different counties as part of an ambitious scheme during the past 12 months, with 68 put in sites such as Yardley, Sutton Coldfield and Kingstanding.

It is estimated that around 100,000 people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the UK each year and, while CPR saves the lives of around nine per cent, if CPR is used alongside a defibrillator the chance of survival increases to 50 %.

Central England Co-op worked closely with ambulance services to find the best locations for the devices and, where possible, fitted them to buildings externally so the community could use them 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Martyn Cheatle, Central England Co-operative Chief Executive, said: “Sudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the UK’s biggest killers and, after listening to the concerns of customers, members and partners, we wanted to help tackle the issue by getting more life-saving equipment into communities where it can save lives.

“As a responsible business we place a huge focus on making a positive contribution to the communities in which we trade; we are delighted to have been able to build on our existing work with this project which we funded from the 5p carrier bag levy.

“The response to the project by our colleagues, customers and members has been amazing and we have been taken aback by the positive response from the communities in which we serve.”

After every device was installed by long-term partner Oak Electrical, special familiarisation sessions took place for staff at Society outlets, nearby business, local residents and community groups to help people find out more about the device and its ease of use.

Kev Morris, Store Manager at Central England Co-operative, said: "Everyone in our stores and funeral homes have been delighted to have been such an integral part of ensuring these lifesaving devices could be installed and be of great benefit to our communities.

"If one of the defibrillators is ever needed, anyone can call 999 and the emergency operator will pass on a code that will open the locked case that the equipment is stored in.

"The devices will then talk the person through how to use it – they are easy to use and any member of the community would be able to do so if needed."

Notes to editors

Sidebar:

Here is a list of the locations of defibrillators in Birmingham and the West Midlands:

• Cannock Road Food Store, Burntwood
• Highfields Road Food Store, Chasetown
• Central England Co-operative, in Acocks Green
• Shirley Food Store, in Longmore Road, Solihull
• Shirley Funeralcare, in Stratford Road
• Co-operative Funeralcare, in Hobs Moat Road, Solihull
• Lyndon Road Food Store, in Solihull, Birmingham
• Warwick Road Funeralcare, in Solihull
• Yardley Wood Funeralcare, in Birmingham
• Minworth Funeralcare, in Kingsbury Road, Birmingham
• Hall Green Funeralcare, in Robin Hood Lane, Birmingham
• Yardley Funeralcare, in Coventry Road, Birmingham
• Castle Bromwich Funeralcare, in Chester Road, Birmingham
• Kitts Green Funeralcare, in East Meadway
• Kings Heath Food Store, in Vicarage Road, Birmingham
• Maypole Funeral, in Alcester Road South, Birmingham
• Kingstanding Food Store, in Kingstanding Road, Birmingham
• Sutton Coldfield Food Store, in Birmingham Road
• Sutton Coldfield Funeralcare, in Boldmere Road
• Sutton Coldfield Food Store, in Walmley Close
• N Wheatley and Sons Funeral Services, Queen’s House, Moseley
• Moseley Food Store, Swanshurst Lane
• Yardley Food Store, Yew Tree Retail Park
• Nechells Co-operative funeralcare, Great Brook Street
• Ward End Co-operative funeralcare, Fox and Goose Shopping Centre
• Harborne Co-operative funeralcare, High Street
• Weoley Castle Co-operative funeralcare, Weoley Castle Road
• Harborne Road Food, Court Oak Road
• Quinton Food Store, Birmingham
• Rubery Co-operative Funeralcare, New Road
• Ambler Brothers Funeral Services, Alcester Road, Moseley
• Dads Lane Food Store, Dads Lane, Birmingham
• Monkspath Food Store, Shelly Shopping Centre, Shirley
• Bentley Heath Food Store, Widney Road
• Stirchley Food Store, Hazelwell Street
• Cotteridge Food Store, Pershore Road, King’s Norton
• West Heath Food Store, Alvechurch Road
• Northfield Food Store, West Heath Road
• Church Road Food Store, Church Road, Sheldon
• Shard End Food Store, Shard End Crescent
• Kinghurst Food Store, The Parade
• Chester Road Food store, Chelmsley Wood
• Rowley Regis Food Store, Oldbury Road
• Tividale Food Store, Regent Road, Oldbury
• Overfield Road Food Store, Dudley
• Dibdale Road Food Store, Dudley
• Erdington Food Store, High Street
• Chester Road Co-operative funeralcare, Erdington
• Stephanie Mason Funeral Services, Enterprise House, Minworth
• Spies Lane Food Store, Halesowen
• Brandhall Food Store, Tame Road
• Oldbury Co-operative funeralcare, Birmingham Street
• West Bromwich Food Store, Hill Top
• West Bromwich Co-operative funeralcare, High Street
• Marsh Hill Co-operative funeralcare, Erdington
• Walsall Road Food Store, Great Barr
• Kingstanding Florist, Hawthorn Road
• Dyas Road Food Store, Great Barr
• Edward Jarvis Funeral Service, Greyfriars
• Bromsgrove Funeral Home, High Street
• Redditch Funeral Home, William Street
• George Crump and Son Funeral Service, Hanbury Road
• Kingstanding Food Store, Hawthorn Road
• Sutton Coldfield Food Store, Birmingham Road
• Barlestone Food Store, West End
• Pear Tree Centre Food Store, Rugeley
• Springfield Road Food Store, Rugeley
• Eccleshall Food Store, Stafford Street

Picture: One of the defibrillators now in place at over 300 Central England Co-operative food stores and funeral homes.

Picture: Central England Co-op colleague Kev Morris posing with one of the defibrillators.

About Central England Co-operative

Central England Co-operative is one of the largest independent retail co-operative societies in the UK. It is a modern, forward-looking organisation employing over 8,000 staff, with gross sales of £927 million in 2016/17. The Society’s principal areas of activity are food, funeral services, and property investment. Central England Co-operative has over 400 trading outlets across 16 counties including; West Midlands, Warwickshire, Worcestershire, Staffordshire, Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Rutland, Nottinghamshire, Northamptonshire, Lincolnshire, West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire.  The Society has an ambitious food store development programme for 2017.

Central England Co-operative is proud of its reputation for ethical business practices and corporate responsibility.  It is a member of Business in the Community, the membership organisation that stands for responsible business, and has also won many business awards for excellence.  The Society supports a number of charities including Dementia UK and invests a percentage of its trading profit into local communities.

Becoming a member of Central England Co-operative offers a whole host of benefits ranging from collecting points every time you spend in store to earn a share of the profits, access to members activities and community initiatives including the Community Dividend Fund, which hands out grants of up to £5,000 to charities and good causes across the Society’s trading estate.

Find out how to become a Central England Co-operative member by calling 0800 0501 601, emailing members@centralengland.coop or visiting https://www.members.coop

For more information visit www.centralengland.coop, follow Central England Co-operative on Twitter: @mycoopfood, and on Facebook: facebook.com/centralenglandcooperative

Rob Smyth / Heather Clapton at Central England Co-operative on 01543 414140

Email –publicrelations@centralengland.coop