– British Heart Foundation maps extraordinary defibrillators as The Circuit nears 125,000 milestone –

A life-saving device at Garrison & Lough Melvin Anglers Association has been featured in British Heart Foundation’s list of 10 most extraordinary defibrillators in the UK, having been crowned the most westerly.

The BHF is spotlighting the County Fermanagh defibrillator as part of a UK-wide push to reach 125,000 devices registered on The Circuit, the UK’s national defibrillator network.

The charity has released a striking new set of photographs showing defibrillators in unexpected locations across the UK, from remote islands and mountain summits to community venues like Garrison & Lough Melvin Anglers Association.

The images highlight how lifesaving defibrillators are on standby in even the most unlikely places, thanks to local Guardians who keep them rescue-ready.

There are currently just under 123,000 defibrillators registered on The Circuit. The Circuit is a pioneering database created by BHF with Resuscitation Council UK (RCUK) St John Ambulance, and Association of Ambulance Chief Executives (AACE). It provides the NHS ambulance services with vital information about defibrillators across the UK so that in those crucial moments after a cardiac arrest, they can be accessed quickly to help save lives.

By spotlighting some of the UK’s most unique defibrillator locations, BHF hopes to encourage more people to register their devices so the network can surpass a milestone 125,000 registered by autumn.

Fearghal McKinney, Head of British Heart Foundation NI, said: “This extraordinary defibrillator on the edge of Lough Melvin shows that lifesaving devices can be found anywhere — from busy towns and cities to some of our most rural communities.

“But a defibrillator can only help save a life if people know where it is. That is why registering devices on The Circuit is so important — it gives ambulance services vital information so they can direct members of the public to the nearest available defibrillator when every second counts.

“There are around 1,400 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests every year in Northern Ireland, and sadly fewer than one in 10 people survive. Timely CPR and defibrillation can more than double the chances of survival, so we are urging anyone responsible for a defibrillator to register it on The Circuit and help make sure it can be found in an emergency.”

The Guardian of the UK’s most westerly defibrillator, on the edge of Lough Melvin is Woodrow Acheson who is Treasurer of Garrison & Lough Melvin Anglers Association.

Woodrow said: “We have around 200 members at the club, many of them older, and our competitions bring hundreds of people to Lough Melvin from across Ireland, Scotland, England, Wales and overseas.

“You hope you will never need it, but if something does go seriously wrong, the defibrillator is there. Because it is registered on The Circuit, it is not just there for the club — it is available to the wider community too.

“We have had it for four or five years now, and it gives people reassurance to know that help is close by if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.”

Help The Circuit reach 125,000 registered defibrillators by registering your device today. It’s free, quick, and simple to do at circuit.uk.

The 10 most extraordinary defibrillators:

1. Most northerly

Located further north than Oslo, Norway, the defibrillator at Hermaness National Nature Reserve on Unst in Shetland, takes the crown for being the most northerly defibrillator in the UK. Pictured with dedicated defib guardian Juan Brown – operations officer at NatureScot.

2. Most southerly

Sat right at the bottom of the UK based outside a gin distillery in St Agnes, Isles of Scilly, is the country’s most southerly defibrillator. The island is just a mile across and has no cars – the landscape is dominated by white-sand beaches, dramatic coastline and just 85 residents.

 

3. Highest in England

Famous for being the UK’s highest pub, the country’s highest defibrillator is also located at the Tan Hill Inn in Swaldale, North Yorkshire. Sitting at 1,732 feet above sea level, the 400-year-old pub which has hit the headlines for having punters snowed in during the depths of winter, also houses this notable defibrillator. Pictured here with inn employee Max Watson.

 

4. Lowest

Placed nine metres below sea level at Broadland Great Yarmouth Rugby Club, is the UK’s lowest defibrillator. This defibrillator’s Guardian is Jayne Biggs, who is the Guardian for an astonishing 182 defibs across East Anglia, inspired by her own daughter’s cardiac arrest aged 7.

5. Most remote

The tiny island of Lundy, home to just 28 human residents but around 1,400 puffins, takes the title for having the most remote defibrillator in the UK. Lundy Island, located 12 miles off the coast of Devon, operates without cars, roads or a permanent electricity grid.

6. Most inland

Bournebrook Church of England Primary School in Coventry are the proud owners of the most inland defibrillator in the UK. The defib in this small school of under 130 pupils, sits the furthest away from any coastline of any other device on The Circuit.

7. Most picturesque

Yr Wyddfa (Mount Snowdon) is home to the most picturesque defibrillator, which was used within the last month. Sitting at the summit of the highest mountain in Wales, a mountain with a 450-million-year history, this defib is available to the 750,000 people who reach the top each year. The defibrillator is placed in The Summit Café and boasts panoramic 360-degree vista views across Eryri National Park and as far as the Irish Sea.

8. Least populated

Located two miles from the mainland, the remote Welsh island of Ynys Enlli (Bardsey Island) is home to just four human residents and hundreds of sheep. Lois Roberts and Aron Llwyd, both 29, make up half of the population and are the full-time wardens of this thinly inhabited island. They are also the Guardians of this defibrillator.

9. Most easterly

A stone’s throw from Ness Point in Lowestoft, Suffolk, is the country’s most easterly defib. In a carpet shop next to the sea, this defibrillator is closer to Amsterdam than it is to Birmingham. Pictured is Guardian Jayne Biggs who has two of her 182 defibrillators featured in this list.

10. Most westerly

On the opposite side of the UK in Northern Ireland, is the most westerly defibrillator. On the edge of Lough Melvin, this defibrillator is situated at Garrison & Lough Melvin Anglers Association Clubhouse and cared for by local angler and Treasurer of the Association, Woodrow Acheson.

 

Five defibrillator myths – busted

1. “You have to be trained to be able to use one” Anyone can use a public access defibrillator and you don’t need training to use one. Once switched on, it gives clear voice instructions and guides the user through every step so there is no room for error.

2. “I could accidentally shock someone who doesn’t need it” Defibrillators analyse the person’s heart rhythm and will only deliver a shock if it’s needed. They won’t allow a shock to be given to someone who doesn’t require one so there’s no risk of harm by attaching a defibrillator.

3. “If it’s in a locked cabinet, I can’t access it” Whilst the BHF campaigns for and installs defibs in unlocked cabinets, some are kept in cabinets which require a code to open. By calling 999, codes for the cabinets can be shared quickly and easily for access if the defib is registered on The Circuit.

4. “If I use the defib and someone still dies, I could be sued or responsible for their death” In a cardiac arrest, death is imminent without help, so you cannot make the outcome worse. AEDs give clear voice prompts and automatic heart-rhythm analysis. You are protected when acting in good faith if you follow these instructions.

5. “I should use a defibrillator on someone having a heart attack”

You use a defibrillator when someone is in cardiac arrest, not when they are having a heart attack. They are two different things – someone having a heart attack is usually conscious, whereas someone in cardiac arrest will be unconscious, not breathing normally (or at all), and their heart has stopped beating effectively. A defibrillator is not needed if someone is awake, conscious and in visible pain

 

Circuit funding For the last year, funding from Omaze has played an important role in supporting the ongoing development of The Circuit and helping to grow the network of registered defibrillators across the UK. Their support is helping to ensure more lifesaving devices are visible to ambulance services.