After the sudden death of his friend David “Macca” McNeaney from a cardiac arrest on New Year’s Eve 2020, community campaigner Dave Swarbrook was determined to create something positive in his memory.
Working alongside Macca’s family and AEDdonate, Dave launched a fundraising campaign to install a public access defibrillator close to where Macca had collapsed. Support from the local community quickly exceeded expectations, raising enough money to fund five defibrillators across the Staffordshire Moorlands.
What began as a single fundraising campaign soon developed into a wider mission to improve access to lifesaving equipment throughout the area.
Over the last four years, Dave has worked with local businesses, pubs, sports clubs, charities and community organisations to help increase the number of publicly accessible defibrillators in Leek from just eight to more than thirty. He also began mapping defibrillator locations and identifying areas where cover was limited, driven by a belief that nobody should be more than 200 meters away from a defibrillator during a cardiac arrest.
As a Defib Guardian, Dave helps ensure devices remain rescue ready by supporting regular checks, accessibility and registration on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network. The work has since grown into a wider partnership involving AEDdonate and Staffordshire Moorlands District Council.
AEDdonate now manages the District Council-funded Public Access Defibrillator Support Scheme, helping ensure defibrillators across the district are regularly checked, maintained and supplied with replacement pads and batteries when needed. The programme now supports more than 190 public access defibrillators across the Staffordshire Moorlands, helping improve long-term sustainability and emergency preparedness for local communities.