Charity offers communities in Staffordshire and Shropshire free defibrillators

Jamie Richards set up AED Donate after he left the fire service 10 years ago

Communities in Shropshire and Staffordshire are being offered free defibrillators by a charity.

Stone-based AED Donate was set up 10 years ago to purchase the devices and maintain them.

Founder and chief executive Jamie Richards said he was particularly looking to get them installed in the Telford area.

Since it was set up, the charity said it had installed more than 5,000 defibrillators around the country.

The devices are used to restart hearts in patients suffering a cardiac arrest.

The charity usually offers to help people fundraise for their own defibrillator and offers some grants to help pay for them, a spokesperson said.

But they added the funding for the latest wave of indoor and outdoor devices came from the Leek Building Society, which is why they were being offered for free to communities where it was based, including Telford.

Mr Richards used to be a firefighter in Staffordshire and said he set up AED Donate after seeing defibrillators start to appear in public places.

"Back then I think, being a little naive, I just thought that was an ambulance service role," he said.

He added his aim was to create a charity which could fundraise to buy them but also do the administrative work and make sure they were well managed and maintained.

The organisation received a King's Award for Voluntary Service in December.