A town now has a network of life saving defibrillators in place, thanks to its local paper.

Less than 12 months after The Oswestry and Border Chronicle launched the “Keeping Oswestry Alive” campaign, a total of five defibrillators have now been strategically positioned around the town.

Donations flooded into the Midland News Association’s Oswestry office, companies handed over cash, staff ran half-marathons, and packed bags for supermarket shoppers at Christmas, and even a local firm of undertakers helped to fund the project.

The campaign was launched in conjunction with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), and the West Midland Ambulance Service, and raised over £6,000.

Back left: Terry Foster, West Midland Ambulance Service, Graham Breeze, Warren Appleby, British Heart Foundation.

Civic leaders, British Heart Foundation, and West Midland Ambulance officials have all heaped praise on the campaign which was launched by Chronicle associate editor, Graham Breeze, and advertisement manager, Dave Lee-Birch.

The pair launched the campaign following the closure of Oswestry’s local ambulance station, in a bid to ensure that anyone suffering a cardiac arrest in the town centre would be in walking distance of a defibrillator.

No-one in the town centre is now more than 200 metres away from the potentially life saving equipment.

“There was a remarkable response to our appeal,” said Breeze. “The BHF helped with part-funding, but we needed to raise £6,000, and our readers and advertisers all came up with the goods.

“It has been a very rewarding campaign. We came up with the plan after the town’s ambulance station closed.

“If just one life is saved, it will have proved worthwhile.

“We believe that every town should have its own network of debfibrillators in place.”