Saturday 18th July 2026 marked a truly remarkable milestone for Community Defibrillators for Rossendale (CDfR), Rossendale Community First Responders (RCFR) and, most importantly, everyone who lives, works and visits the Rossendale Valley.
Fifteen years after Rossendale became home to the first Community Public Access Defibrillator (CPAD) in the North West Ambulance Service region, installed on Bank Street, Rawtenstall, the community came together to celebrate the unveiling of our 100th publicly accessible defibrillator. Fittingly, this latest installation stands less than a mile from where the journey first began in 2011.
Hosted outside the Kashmir Restaurant in Rawtenstall, the event was officially unveiled by Deputy Lieutenant of Lancashire, Ms Miranda Carruthers-Watt, and brought together many of the people and organisations who have helped make this incredible achievement possible. Joining the celebrations were representatives from North West Ambulance Service, Rossendale Community First Responders, Community Defibrillators for Rossendale, 1969 (Rossendale) Squadron RAF Air Cadets, local businesses, volunteer guardians, supporters and members of the community, all united in celebrating a project that has transformed access to lifesaving equipment across the valley.
The 100th CPAD is particularly special because much of the funding for this installation was raised by the young people of 1969 (Rossendale) Squadron RAF Air Cadets. Their enthusiasm, commitment and community spirit perfectly demonstrate that saving lives is something everyone, regardless of age, can help support.
However, this celebration was about far more than unveiling one additional defibrillator.
It was a celebration of every one of the 100 Community Public Access Defibrillators now standing guard across Rossendale. Each one represents countless hours of fundraising, planning, installation and ongoing maintenance carried out by an extraordinary network of volunteers determined to make their communities safer.
Alongside building this network of lifesaving equipment, Rossendale Community First Responders continue to strengthen another vital link in the Chain of Survival through their free No Fear CPR & AED training sessions. Delivered throughout the year to schools, community groups, businesses and organisations across the valley, these sessions give local people the confidence and practical skills to recognise a cardiac arrest, begin CPR, retrieve their nearest Community Public Access Defibrillator and use it effectively until the arrival of the ambulance service. By combining readily accessible defibrillators with a community that knows how to use them, Rossendale is creating not only a network of lifesaving equipment, but a community ready to act when every second counts.
Behind every cabinet is a story. There are the volunteer guardians who inspect each defibrillator every few weeks to ensure it remains rescue-ready, reporting its status to The Circuit, the UK’s national defibrillator network. There are the businesses that provide locations and electrical power, the organisations that organise fundraising events, and the individuals who quietly give their time, skills and dedication to keep the entire network operational.
Perhaps the most remarkable achievement of all is that over the past fifteen years, the people of Rossendale have generously donated around £150,000 to create and sustain this remarkable network. That level of generosity is nothing short of extraordinary and demonstrates exactly what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose.
This milestone belongs to everyone. It belongs to every volunteer who has given up their evenings to install or maintain a defibrillator. It belongs to every guardian who has faithfully checked their local unit. It belongs to every business that has provided a home for a CPAD. It belongs to every fundraiser who has organised an event, every young person who has collected donations, every organisation that has offered support, and every individual who has made a contribution—no matter how large or small.
Together, you have helped create one of the most comprehensive community defibrillator networks anywhere in the country, making Rossendale a safer, stronger and more resilient place to live, work and visit.
From everyone at Community Defibrillators for Rossendale and Rossendale Community First Responders, thank you for believing in this vision and helping make it a reality.
Together, you have strengthened the Chain of Survival across our valley, ensuring that when the worst happens, help is never far away.
From the bottom of our hearts, thank you, Rossendale. Here’s to the next 100.
