The Rustic Arms Story
A defib for Ackworth: How The Rustic Arms pub made the neighbourhood heart-safe.
“The pub is the heart of the community - so it made sense to protect it.”
When Kayleigh Bridge and her team of pub managers from the Rustic Arms completed a first-aid training session, they realised something alarming - the nearest public defibrillator was difficult to reach, especially at busy times. “We suddenly realised how stuck we’d be,” Kayleigh says. “It terrified me to think what would happen on my shift.”
Determined to act, the team launched a fundraising campaign through MyCommunityDefib - becoming the first UK pub to install a defibrillator via the platform. They made it simple for customers to help: “We created a button on the till allowing people to round up their bill and donate to the defib campaign” Kayleigh explains. “We also had a donation box by the till. Every little bit added up.”
Reaching the target took determination and community spirit. “I didn’t think we were going to make it,” she admits. “And then someone just randomly donated the last £300. It felt like a miracle.”
Within weeks, the bright yellow cabinet was proudly fixed outside the pub. “I felt a whole lot safer that day,” Kayleigh recalls. “It’s massive reassurance - it absolutely terrified me before, thinking something might happen and we’d be helpless.”
Just weeks later, the defibrillator was needed during an emergency. “The woman using it didn’t know how to, but the device talks you through it,” says Kayleigh. “It’s so simple – like using a children’s toy.” Although the man did not survive the night, the defibrillator gave him a fighting chance by providing immediate support before the ambulance arrived. “That’s why we did this,” she says quietly. “Every moment matters in a cardiac arrest, and having a defib close by can make all the difference.”
Her advice to others is simple: “Just do it. You’re helping your community - but you’re helping yourself too. If it hadn’t been there, I’d never have forgiven myself. Money always comes back. A life doesn’t.”
Would you like to make your neighbourhood heart-safe too?