On what would have been his dad’s 65^th birthday, our Director Callum Walker unveiled a new public defibrillator outside Greenbank on Hartshorne Road, Woodville. It is the third device WR Surveying has funded in the past year, and it carries a plaque that reads, “Happy birthday, Dad.” This post explains why that message matters—and why we plan to keep going until every community we serve is within easy reach of life-saving equipment.

A sudden loss that changed our focus

Callum’s father passed away on 3 January 2023 after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). Losing a loved one without warning is devastating, but learning the statistics made that grief sharper still. Each year more than 30,000 people in the UK collapse from an SCA outside a hospital, and the survival odds are shockingly low.

• Only 7–10 % survive without immediate help.
• Applying a defibrillator within 3–5 minutes raises survival to 50–75 %.
• Every minute without CPR or defibrillation cuts survival by roughly 10 %.

In practical terms, if help arrives ten minutes too late, the chance of living falls close to zero. Callum realised that equipment—not just trained personnel—makes the statistical difference between life and loss.

Why location matters more than numbers

More than half of the UK population lives at least one kilometre from a 24/7 accessible defibrillator. Even in busy neighbourhoods, devices are often locked inside offices or sports halls after hours. That gap motivated our pledge: install public, weather-proof cabinets in places where people spend time at all hours.

The latest unit sits at Greenbank, Hartshorne Road, Woodville, DE11 7GT. The choice is personal. At eighteen, Callum spent a summer re-roofing the Greenbank factory with his dad—work that sparked his love of construction and eventually led to a surveying career. Placing a defibrillator there turns memories into action.

How a defibrillator works—and why you shouldn’t hesitate

Modern automated external defibrillators (AEDs) guide users with voice prompts. You do not need medical training to attach the pads; the device checks rhythm automatically and delivers a shock only if it will help. The most important step is starting. If you see someone collapse:

1. Call 999 and put your phone on speaker.
2. Begin chest compressions at 100–120 beats per minute.
3. Ask a by-stander to fetch the nearest AED.
4. Apply the pads and follow the prompts until help arrives.

Seconds count. A unit five minutes away on foot may arrive too late; that is why we aim for walkable coverage within one kilometre.

Check your nearest defibrillator today

You can locate registered devices on the free defibfinder.uk map. If yours is more than a kilometre away, or locked behind business hours, please let us know. We will log requests and prioritise future donations where the need is greatest.

Working together: partners and thanks

Installing an AED is a team effort. We thank Greenbank for the site, Matt at Dove Valley Electrical Services Ltd for safe wiring, and YESSS Electrical for supplying the cabinet. Their support keeps the device available day and night, rain or shine.

Our commitment going forward

WR Surveying’s job is to protect property buyers, but protecting people is a natural extension of that responsibility. We will continue funding defibrillators across Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire and Staffordshire until easy access is the norm, not the exception.

We also encourage other local firms to join the mission. If you manage a business with round-the-clock footfall, consider hosting a cabinet. The device requires minimal maintenance and could one day save the life of an employee, customer or passer-by.

A personal note from Callum Walker

“Today would have been my Dad’s 65^th birthday. Donating this defibrillator is my way of keeping his spirit alive and helping other families avoid the pain we felt. Please check where your nearest AED is, and if it is too far, get in touch—we’ll see what we can do next. Happy Birthday, Dad.”

How you can help right now

• Look up your nearest AED and share the location with family members.
• Take a two-hour CPR course; many charities run free sessions.
• Ask your workplace if a defibrillator is on-site and accessible.
• Donate to community fundraising drives for new devices.
• Spread awareness by sharing this post or our story on social media.

Together we can raise the UK survival rate from single digits to something that reflects hope rather than odds. Thank you for reading—and for helping us turn a personal loss into a community gain.