Swale Borough Council is making £20,250 available to encourage the installation of a public access defibrillator at village halls and community centres around Swale.
Local community groups can apply for up to £750 towards the cost of purchasing and installing the equipment that can help save someone’s life.
Public access defibrillators must be located in places fully accessible to the public 24/7. Applicants would also need to appoint a nominated person to maintain them.
All defibrillators must be purchased and installed by the end of March 2022.
Cllr Mike Baldock, cabinet member for planning at the council, said:
“We’re making £20,250 available to support lifesaving equipment at village halls and community centres around Swale.
“Community groups and local organisations can apply for up to £750 to go towards the cost of purchasing and installing a public access defibrillator and housing cabinet.
“Defibrillators can provide lifesaving support to people in cardiac arrest. For every minute someone is in cardiac arrest without CPR and access to a defibrillator, their chances of survival drop by up to 10 per cent.
“With ambulance response times increasing, having a publicly accessible defibrillator nearby can mean the difference between life and death for someone in cardiac arrest.
“The grant scheme is now open, and I encourage any local group with a community building to head over to our website to see if you’re eligible.”
