Cllr Stuart Lawson, East Suffolk councillor for the Kesgrave ward, donated £2,000 from his Enabling Communities Budget to the Kesgrave War Memorial Community Centre to support the installation of a new defibrillator.  

Cllr Lawson said: “It is wonderful to have the new life-saving equipment on site and in the heart of the community and whilst I very much hope it won’t ever be needed, the new defibrillator will be available to help anyone in the event of a cardiac arrest.” 

The defibrillator, which can be used to give an electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest, is located inside Kesgrave Sports Centre, and supports an existing device which is located on the outside of the Community Centre, off Twelve Acre Approach. 

East Suffolk Council’s Enabling Communities Budgets support activities delivered by community, voluntary and social enterprise organisations. Distributed equally amongst each of the Council’s 55 members, each ward councillor has a £7,500 Enabling Community Budget to spend on community projects or to develop new projects which tackle community needs in their area.   

Previous projects which have benefitted from Enabling Community Budget funding include play areas, village hall refurbishments and equipment, community events and projects supporting people with disabilities.  

Community groups wishing to apply for Enabling Community Budget funding should contact their district councillor: www.eastsuffolk.gov.uk/councillors