A new life-saving Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been installed in Leftwich thanks to a generous donation from local resident Kevin Gardner, who wanted to honour the memory of his late wife, Barbara.
Barbara Gardner, who lived on London Road in her early teens and later worked for many years at the local care home, sadly passed away in 2025. Wanting to create a lasting legacy in her name, Kevin chose to donate towards the installation of a 24-hour publicly accessible AED to help protect the local community she remembered so dearly.
Kevin said:
“Barbara had many happy memories of her early teen years on Leftwich so it just seemed perfect to support the installation of this life-saving AED when the opportunity arose. I know Barbara would have been thrilled knowing that her legacy could potentially save someone’s life.”
The installation was completed by Northwich Town Council, with additional funding provided by Cllr Rachel Waterman. The new AED forms part of the Town Council’s ongoing commitment to improving public safety across the town.
Northwich Town Council has now installed 28 publicly accessible 24-hour AEDs throughout Northwich. These vital devices have already been used in emergency situations and have helped save lives within the community.
Cllr Rachel Waterman said:
“There was no hesitation in contributing towards this installation in Leftwich. Kevin’s incredibly generous donation in memory of Barbara is a wonderful way to celebrate her life while providing a lasting benefit to the Leftwich community. Every additional AED installed increases the chances of saving a life, and I am proud to have supported this important project.”
A spokesperson for Northwich Town Council added:
“We are extremely grateful to Kevin for his generous donation and for choosing to honour Barbara’s memory in such a meaningful way. Publicly accessible AEDs play a vital role in increasing survival rates following a cardiac arrest, and this installation is another important step in ensuring our communities have access to life-saving equipment when every second counts. Barbara’s legacy will live on through the lives this AED may help to save.”
Residents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the location of their nearest AED. In the event of a cardiac emergency, the emergency services will direct callers to the nearest available device while an ambulance is on its way
