News

Life saving defibrillators fitted across communities with new partnership

10 October 2025
3 mins

We have become the first housing association to partner with the OurJay Foundation to install life saving defibrillators across communities.  

We have formed a new partnership with the OurJay Foundation, helping to increase the number of publicly accessible Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) across the West Midlands and beyond.  

The partnership will see us review, upgrade and register our existing defibrillators, as well as install new ones at housing schemes and new developments, making life saving equipment more accessible in the event of a cardiac emergency.  All installations will be registered on the national Defib finder database that hosts a map showing all locations where a defibrillator can be found and accessed day or night at www.defibfinder.uk.  

We will also be offering colleagues and customers the opportunity to learn lifesaving skills, CPR and the safe use of AEDs and bleed management through the provision of awareness training with the OurJay charity, equipping them with the skills and confidence to respond in an emergency.  

The OurJay Foundation was founded in memory of 18 year old Rugby teenager Jamie Rees (‘Jay’), who died in January 2022 after suffering a cardiac arrest.  His mum, Naomi, set up the Foundation to raise awareness of the importance of 24/7 publicly accessible defibrillators and to fundraise for new installations in local communities.  

Naomi said: “Jay’s cardiac arrest could not be prevented but having access to a defibrillator might have given him a chance to survive.  Every second counts in a cardiac arrest and we are determined to make sure no other family has to go through what we’ve been through.  Partnering with Platform means we can extend our reach, bringing more defibs into communities where they are needed most.”  

As part of the partnership, we will:  

  • Review and check our existing defibrillators to ensure they are accessible and working; 

  • Purchase protective cabinets to house devices securely; 

  • Register all units on the national Defib Finder database, making them easy to locate in an emergency; 

  • Install new defibrillators at identified housing schemes and new housing developments; 

  • Embed defibrillator installations into future new build contracts, ensuring every new community is better protected.  

Marion Duffy, our Chief Operations Officer said: “We are proud to be working with Naomi and the OurJay Foundation.  This partnership is about saving lives, supporting safer communities and making a lasting difference across our neighbourhoods.  Installing and maintaining accessible defibrillators is a simple but powerful step, one we hope inspires other housing providers and organisations to follow suit.”  

The first installations have taken place in communities in the West Midlands, with further sites being identified across the region. Funding has been provided by our Wellbeing Fund.  

For more information on the OurJay Foundation and its work, visit www.ourjay.org.uk. 

Photo caption :  l to r, Tracey Brand, Trustee and Secretary of the OurJay Foundation and godmother to Jay; Marion Duffy, Chief Operations Officer, Platform Housing Group; Naomi Rees-Issitt, Jay’s Mum and Sarah Sutton, Director of New Customers and Specialist Housing, Platform Housing Group.