Toyota and Tata donate life-saving defibrillators for public use across Deeside Industrial Park

Toyota Manufacturing Engine Plant and Tata Steel have donated Automatic External Defibrillators (AED) for public use across Deeside Industrial Park and the Greenway cycle route.

Flintshire Safety Group (FSG) had appealed to local businesses to provide portable defibrillators. Responding to this appeal, Toyota’s Charitable Trust donated three AEDs for Zone 3 of the Deeside Industrial Park. This contribution complements Tata Steel’s installation in Zone 2 last year.

Mairi Gordon, General Manager of Engine Manufacturing at Toyota, highlighted the significance of the location. “Our engine plant on Zone 3 sits on the Greenway cycle route between the Wirral, Shotton, and Chester. Hundreds of people use this route daily for commuting and leisure,” she said.

“By providing accessible defibrillators, we can ensure that life-saving equipment is within easy reach.” Mairi added.

A small ceremony marking the initiative took place last week, attended by representatives from Toyota, Tata Steel, Lord Barry Jones, FCC, and AEDonate.

Lord Barry expressed his gratitude towards Toyota and Tata Steel for their contributions to local welfare.

Jamie Richards, Chief Executive of AEDdonate—a charity committed to improving the survival rate from out-of-hospital cardiac arrests—explained: “In an emergency, every minute matters. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​We work with partners to install publicly-accessible AEDs in locked cabinets, which are registered with the Welsh Ambulance Service.”

‌“​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌If someone suffers a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), the emergency services can then direct a member of the public to the nearest defibrillator, which could be life-saving. It is fantastic that the public in and around Deeside Industrial Park, now have access to 4 AED’s, which are registered, managed & available 24/7”. ‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌​”

Cllr Healey, Cabinet Member for Climate Change and Economy, praised the business’s participation in the project.

He commended Toyota and Tata Steel for demonstrating their “fantastic social value” to Flintshire’s communities in addition to their economic contribution.

Echoing these sentiments, Tata Steel Shotton Works Manager, Bill Duckworth, said, “We have had AEDs on our site for years and they’ve saved lives. ”

“We’re delighted to support this initiative and would encourage other businesses in the area to join us and Toyota in helping keep people safe and well.”

With this initiative, Deeside Industrial Park and the Greenway cycle route have taken a significant stride towards enhanced public safety, offering life-saving devices that could make a difference in a cardiac emergency.