Continuing a positive trend for the area, local resident Karen Davies has once again donated a brand-new defibrillator, this time to the newly opened Redcar Beach Base, on Majuba Road, Coatham.
Karen had previously donated a defibrillator to the Regent Cinema and has made it her mission to provide as many defibs as possible in honour of her husband, Steve, who sadly passed away as a result of cardiac complications in 2022.
With the sports, health and wellbeing focus of Redcar Beach Base, Karen felt it was hugely important that the site hosted a defibrillator. Ben Nichols, Site Manager for Beach Base, expressed his gratitude for Karen’s generosity: “We are honoured to receive a defibrillator at Beach Base, in commemoration of Karen’s late husband, but also to ensure sporting groups have peace of mind that equipment is available for any emergencies. Hopefully, we will never need to use the defib, but it is nonetheless an important element of the facility to ensure safety of all its users.”
Cabinet Member for Health and Welfare, Cllr Ursula Earl, said: “As a Council, we’d like to thank Karen for her donation. Seeing the number of defibrillators installed within Redcar and Cleveland grow and grow as time passes, makes me extremely glad, especially outside venues where people exercise. I’d like to thank those at Beach Base for volunteering to be guardians of this device, which we hope will never have to be used, but it could just save someone’s life.”
Karen and her family have so far raised funding for defibs for York Road Caravan Park, Turners Mill Pub, Wilton Care Home, The Racecourse Wine Lodge, Lazenby Social Club, Scott’s Chemist in Roseberry Shopping Centre and Javac UK Ltd in the Britannia Park Industrial Estate.
Karen said: “I feel very proud to know that we have provided defibrillators for so many locations in Redcar and neighbouring areas.
“It simply made sense to have one located at Redcar Beach Base as a matter of priority, especially with its sport and wellbeing provision.”
Redcar Beach Base is now fully open to the public, as well as to any sporting groups who wish to utilise it as a hub. For further information, please visit: https://www.redcarbeachbase.com/.