Volunteers at St John Ambulance have raised more than £1,300 for a new defibrillator at their headquarters in Ipswich.

Ipswich Star: Fundraiser David Gray presenting the defibrillator to district manager Tony Curd. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNFundraiser David Gray presenting the defibrillator to district manager Tony Curd. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

Tony Curd, the charity’s district manager for Suffolk, presented the new piece of kit to volunteer David Gray accompanied by his fellow first aids at the unit on Monday.

The team have been raising the cash since February 2014, with David and the team mainly focusing on supermarket collections.

Although David successfully reached his target for he defibrillator, he looks to continue fundraising for the Ipswich unit.

Mr Curd said the device could mean the difference between a ‘life lost and a life saved’.

Ipswich Star: New defib at St John Ambulance in Ipswich. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWNNew defib at St John Ambulance in Ipswich. Picture: SARAH LUCY BROWN (Image: Archant)

He said: “This is a fantastic fundraising success and we are all incredibly proud of David and his colleagues for their efforts in securing this vital piece of first aid equipment.

“It will provide an important part of the unit’s first aid kit when volunteers are out on duty and means that they can continue to be the difference between a life lost and a life saved in the local area. Well done everyone on an excellent end result.”

It comes as the charity launches its C.A.R.E for a Heart campaign to raise awareness of what you should do if a loved one’s heart stops beating.

According to the charity, up to seven in 10 people who suffer a cardiac arrest could survive it if they are treated with a defibrillator within five minutes of suffering the attack.

However, its research shows 55% of people have no idea where their nearest defibrillator is.

The campaign suggests four steps everyone should learn, based on the acronym C.A.R.E, to give your loved one the best chance of survival.

They advise you find your (C)losest defibrillator, be ready to spot the signs of a cardiac (A)rrest, to know how (R)esuscitate with CPR and to know how to give (E)arly defibrillation.

Jon Knight, St John Ambulance regional director, said: “None of want to find ourselves in a situation where we couldn’t save a loved one’s life, any more than we’d want them to stand by helpless if we suffered a cardiac arrest. That’s why we are urging everyone to learn the four simple steps of C.A.R.E today, so that if the worst happens tomorrow, we can all act quickly and confidently, especially when every second counts.”