Heart of Pocklington
After raising more than £33,000 for Dementia Forward over the past three years, Mayor Roly Cronshaw has set himself a new challenge: improving the chances of Pocklington residents surviving a cardiac arrest.
Pocklington currently has around 12 publicly registered defibrillators, but not all are accessible 24 hours a day, seven days a week. The mayor’s new charity, Heart of Pocklington, established in partnership with Pocklington Rugby in the Community, aims to more than double that number to 25 fully accessible devices.
The charity’s target of 25 additional defibrillators is ambitious. The new units will cost approximately £45,000 plus ongoing annual maintenance and training costs of around £8,000.
On November 26, 2024, Mr Cronshaw and Andy Bowden were with their families at Pocklington Bus Station, waiting to travel to York, when Andy suddenly suffered a cardiac arrest.
Mr Bowden said: “I had no warning. We walked to the bus station and then five days later I woke up in York ICU. I had suffered a cardiac arrest.
“Basically, I was lucky. I was close to the fire station and had good people there to help. To be honest, it was far worse for those around me, particularly my wife Sue, as they lived every second of it.
“Roly was brilliant – dialling 999, quickly getting the defibrillator and starting CPR. I was also lucky that an off‑duty nurse was there, along with members of the fire service, until the ambulance arrived.
“The speed of all this coming together without doubt saved my life. As I later found out, the first 10 minutes are crucial for survival rates.”
Following his recovery, the duo reviewed the distribution of defibrillators across Pocklington. They discovered that only five were available 24/7.
Yorkshire Ambulance Service advised that for optimal coverage the town needs 25 additional units, ensuring no resident is more than 600 metres away from lifesaving equipment.
Mr Bowden added: “We are committed to raising funds to support the installation of these units. Roly has kindly agreed to have Heart of Pocklington as his Mayoral charity for 2026-27.
“Funding is required to purchase the units and ensure we have a large team trained in their use and maintenance.
“I was the lucky one. With Heart of Pocklington, we hope to take the ‘luck’ element out of future emergencies and have more positive outcomes for our community.”
Mr Cronshaw said: “The crucial factor in this instance was that people present knew what to do – how to call 999, how to access the defibrillator, how to use it, and how to carry out CPR.
“This experience has highlighted that having defibrillators available is only part of the solution. People also need to know where they are, how to access them and, ideally, have the confidence and knowledge to use them when every second counts.”
He emphasised that Heart of Pocklington is about more than installing equipment.
He continued: “It is about ensuring defibrillators are located in the most beneficial and accessible places, providing training in their use and CPR, and establishing a team to regularly monitor and maintain them so they remain serviceable and ready when needed.
“Our aim is a coordinated, community‑wide network where equipment is available, people know how to use it, and every device is regularly checked and maintained.
“This is a significant challenge, with no fixed end date, but we hope to achieve our initial target within two years. Everyone can help us meet this lifesaving challenge by supporting Heart of Pocklington and making a donation.”
Every donation, however large or small, could help save a life.