Danbury: Anchor pub staff raise money for defibrillator

Danbury already has two defibrillators in the village, which serve the western side, but there are no facilities for the eastern side.

The Anchor pub heard residents’ concerns and decided to step in.

Owner Louise Cook, 41, and assistant manager Charlotte Newland, 26, are hoping to raise the £2,000 needed to buy a new defibrillator which they can stick on the side of the pub.

Louise and Charlotte took up running back in January to improve their mental health.

fundraising stampede: Charlotte Newland (left) and Louise Cook outside the Anchor pub in Danbury. The pair are taking part in the Colchester Stampede run to raise money for a defibrillator

The pair will attempt a 10k at the Colchester Stampede on Sunday, May 16, organised by Colchester Zoo, to raise the funds.

“At this end of the village, we don’t have one and traffic through Danbury can be a nightmare because of the through road, so we thought it would be good to get one,” said Louise.

“We originally did the Couch to 5k and we started around the car park. When we were brave enough, we started running around the village.

“We also own the Queens Head in Maldon, which is about 7k, so we eventually ran there.

“We always finish our runs because we’re quite stubborn.

“We’re a bit crazy and we thought ‘Why don’t we do the stampede?’ for a laugh.

“It’s great because the fee you pay to do the run also helps the zoo.”

About 30,000 people each year suffer a sudden cardiac arrest, which are often fatal without the correct treatment.

According to the British Heart Foundation’s figures, only one in ten victims survive but the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest jumps from six per cent to 74 per cent if a defibrillator is deployed within three minutes.

The pair have already raised more than half of their target and have said any extra money they receive will go to the British Heart Foundation.

To donate, click here.