Life saving defibrillator installed at Heyford Park to help protect Oxfordshire community

Residents at Heyford Park are now better equipped to respond to a cardiac emergency following the installation of a publicly accessible defibrillator and bleed kit in partnership with the OurJay Foundation.  

The new Automated External Defibrillator – or AED – located within the community at Heyford Park where we own and manage social housing, forms part of our commitment to creating safer neighbourhoods across the Midlands.  

The installation has been made possible thanks to a £20,000 donation from Travis Perkins Managed Services, which is funding the installation of 20 defibrillators across our communities.  

The initiative is being delivered in partnership with the Warwickshire based Our Jay Foundation, which was established in memory of 18 year old Jamie Rees, known as Jay, who tragically died following a cardiac arrest.  The charity works to improve access to publicly available defibrillators and increase awareness of the vital role they play in saving lives.  

We own and manage 541 homes across Oxfordshire and are committed to ensuring our neighbourhoods are not only great places to live but also safer places for local people.  

Sarah Sutton, our Director of Customer Service and Experience said: “We’re committed to investing in the communities we serve and this goes far beyond providing homes.  Installing publicly accessible defibrillators helps ensure that residents, visitors and the wider community have access to life saving equipment should the unthinkable happen.  

“We’re incredibly proud to continue our partnership with the OurJay Foundation and grateful to Travis Perkins Managed Services for supporting this initiative.  Together we’re helping to create safer neighbourhoods and giving communities the confidence that help is close at hand in an emergency.”  

Naomi Rees-Issitt, Founder of the OurJay Foundation and Jay’s Mum, said: “Every new defibrillator installed is another opportunity to save a life.  We know that immediate access to a defibrillator can significantly improve someone’s chance of survival following a cardiac arrest.  

“We’re delighted to continue working with Platform Housing Group to make these devices available in more communities.  Jay’s legacy lives on through every installation and every life that may one day be saved because help was nearby.”  

Ben Clifford, Senior Account Manager at Travis Perkins Managed Services said: “We’re proud to support Platform Housing Group and the OurJay Foundation in delivering this important initiative.  

“Providing funding for these defibrillators is about investing in communities and helping ensure life saving equipment is available when people need it most.  We hope this installation at Heyford Park provides reassurance to local residents and makes a lasting difference for years to come.”  

We are the first housing association to partner with the OurJay Foundation and continue to roll out publicly accessible defibrillators across our communities and new developments.  

The initiative goes beyond installing equipment, with ongoing work to raise awareness and encourage more people to feel confident using a defibrillator in an emergency.  By combining investment, partnership working and community engagement, we are helping to create neighbourhoods where residents feel safe and better prepared.  

For more information about the OurJay Foundation, visit www.ourjay.org.uk.   

Photo caption : l to r, Sarah Sutton, Director of Customer Service and Experience, Platform Housing Group; Naomi Rees-Issitt, Founder of the OurJay Foundation and Sophie Bell, Marketing Assistant, Travis Perkins Managed Services.