Stockton community centre benefits from life-saving defibrillator donation

Ewbank Gardens, an on-site community centre based at a sheltered housing scheme in Stockton, received the life-saving machine which will support communities around the area in the event of an individual suffering from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.

Esh Construction, working in partnership with its sub-contractors and supply chain, pledged to fund the defibrillator as part of its commitment to supporting the local community while working with Thirteen on the refurbishment of Ewbank Gardens, Laburnum Court and Magnolia Court.

The defibrillator has been registered by Thirteen with The Circuit UK, meaning emergency services are aware of its location and can direct people to it in case of nearby emergencies.

Mandy Lowther, Customer Care Manager at Esh Construction said: “Giving back to the local community is at the core of Esh’s values and we wanted to leave a legacy following the recent refurbishment of Laburnum and Magnolia Court. Through our strong working relationship with Thirteen, and with the kind support of our sub-contractors and supply chain who worked on the project, Ewbank Gardens now has a life-saving machine at the community’s disposal. We are proud to be able to make this equipment readily accessible in Stockton.”

Thirteen’s partnership project manager Rubie Lee said: “We’re very grateful to everyone who has contributed to this kind donation. While we hope that the life-saving equipment never needs to be used, it’s reassuring for our customers to know that it’s available in the event of an emergency.”

Residents of 24 flats at Laburnum and Magnolia Court received new kitchens and bathrooms with level access showers, doors, new heating systems, a full electrical upgrade and decoration throughout as part of an £800,000 refurbishment scheme last year. The community centre at Ewbank Gardens also received a full makeover as part of the project and the garden areas were revamped to provide a relaxing environment for residents to enjoy together.

Thirteen and Esh are currently working in partnership on several projects, including £4.5 million of refurbishment works across various sheltered housing schemes.