A runner saved by two strangers raised £21,000 for 10 defibrillators in Queen's Park. London still has 47 defib deserts; check where your nearest one is.
A man who survived a cardiac arrest while jogging, because two strangers stopped to give him CPR, has led a neighbourhood campaign that raised more than £21,000, paid for ten public defibrillators and got nearly 400 people trained in lifesaving skills.
The campaign is in north-west London, in Queen’s Park, Kensal Rise, Carlton Vale and Willesden, but London Ambulance Service, which also answers every 999 call in Richmond upon Thames, sent it to us on Monday 2 November with a message for the whole city: find out where your nearest defibrillator is before you need it. The service’s release is here.
Saved by two runners
Rob Hutt, 59, from Queen’s Park, went into cardiac arrest while running in a local park. Two other runners who were out that day dialled 999 and gave him chest compressions until an ambulance arrived.
His friends later found that the area was what the ambulance service calls a “defib desert”: there was no public access defibrillator nearby.
Mr Hutt said:
“The two runners were complete strangers but they had the courage to begin chest compressions and call 999.
“Learning these life-saving skills is important but Londoners should feel confident enough to stop and help a stranger. It’s an amazing gift to give people.
“The use of defibrillators and chest compressions is the most crucial part of the chain of survival. I’ve received amazing care from paramedics and cardiologists but I would be dead if those strangers hadn’t stopped to give me CPR.
“I’d advise Londoners to check where their local defibrillator is. I pray that no one will ever need to use it but you might, so it’s vital that you know where it is.”
Ten defibrillators in 18 months
He spent 18 months finding partners to pay for ten new defibrillators across Carlton Vale, Queen’s Park, Kensal Rise and Willesden. Another is about to go in outside Cricklewood Library, and he is campaigning for more machines and partnerships in neighbouring areas.
The campaign also led to five free training sessions run by London Ambulance Service as part of the Resuscitation Council UK’s Restart a Heart campaign. Nearly 400 local residents have been trained.
Rich Preston, a BBC presenter who is also a community first responder for London Ambulance Service in the area, has supported the fundraising and the training. He said:
“I first learned CPR when I was at school and it was so easy to learn. It’s something I had to do in my community on a number of occasions and it’s just so simple.
“And the funds raised and partnerships mean we have ten new defibrillators, which mean anyone who needs one in an emergency might have a 70% better chance of survival. That could be a friend, a family member or neighbour.”
47 defib deserts left in London
The ambulance service’s charity runs the London Heart Starters campaign to put defibrillators into defib deserts, which it identifies from its own data. According to the campaign page, checked on 2 November, London had 150 priority neighbourhoods with no defibrillator or limited access to one when the campaign launched in July 2024. That is now down to 47. The campaign aims to fund an additional 200 public access defibrillators in unlocked cabinets.
The charity says crews responded to more than 12,200 cardiac arrests last year and fewer than one in 10 people survived. Defibrillation within three to five minutes of collapse can produce survival rates of up to 50 to 70%, it says.
Abby Stark, a paramedic and community resuscitation trainer with the service, said:
“It’s really important that we can give our communities the fundamental skills to know how to save a life.
“It’s all about giving Londoners the confidence to do this. Anyone can do this.
“It’s amazing to see that the Queen’s Park community has got behind their friend to fund defibrillators, maintain the devices and their determination to continue work to put them in more places.”
Dr Tom Coffey, the Mayor of London’s health adviser, said:
“It’s inspiring that the residents of Kensal Rise have joined together to raise money to install defibrillators and learn these life-saving skills with London Ambulance Service.
“When someone suffers a cardiac arrest, every second counts. That’s why the Mayor and I want to make sure every Londoner, no matter where they live, has access to defibrillators and has the skills to use them.
“By giving Londoners the confidence, equipment and training to step in during an emergency, we can save more lives and build a safer London for everyone.”
What you can do in Richmond
- Know where your nearest defibrillator is. Look for the yellow or green cabinets on libraries, stations, shops and sports clubs on the routes you use every day, and on the parks and towpaths where you run or walk.
- Learn CPR for free. The service’s London Lifesavers programme runs free pop-up training events across London, free sessions for schools and courses for community groups and organisations. It says more than 75% of cardiac arrests happen at home, so the person you save is likely to be someone you know.
- Host or fund a defibrillator. The Heart Starters campaign is looking for people and organisations to donate, sponsor machines, fundraise for one or become the guardian of a public access defibrillator.
The service’s video shows how to give CPR:
In October the service warned that cardiac arrests in London rise by 17% in winter, when it urged Londoners to learn the skills ahead of the cold months.
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