Every minute counts when someone suffers a cardiac arrest.

This appeal began with a deeply personal experience.

Almost ten years ago, when he was just 21 years old, Black Tom resident Jake Fordham suffered a cardiac arrest at home after becoming ill with the flu. At the time, he didn't know he had an underlying heart condition.

After eight shocks from the ambulance crew, Jake's heart restarted. As Jake says, "I was very lucky that the ambulance arrived in time and that the paramedics were there, but not everyone is as lucky as that."

Jake's experience inspired the idea of installing a 24/7 publicly accessible defibrillator outside The Burnaby Arms, right in the heart of Black Tom, Bedford.

Since then, the response from the community has been incredible.

What started as one person's idea has grown into a true community effort, with local residents, businesses and volunteers organising a wide range of fundraising events and activities.

So far, we've organised and supported:

Every event, every mug sold and every donation brings us one step closer.

A publicly accessible defibrillator could make a life-saving difference while waiting for emergency services to arrive. Our aim is to make sure that if someone in Black Tom ever needs one, it will be there.

If you'd like to support the appeal, any donation, no matter how big or small, will help us reach our goal.

If you're unable to donate, sharing this page with your friends, family and local community would mean just as much.

Thank you for helping us make Black Tom a safer place.