Members of the community in Leigham have come together to fund a brand-new defibrillator which was unveiled outside Leigham Community Hall at an open day this summer.
The Janner Men’s Shed, a group supported by Plymouth Community Homes (PCH) that meets weekly to socialise, have lunch and complete woodwork at Leigham Community Hall held an open day on Tuesday 12 August to showcase their products, bring the local community together and to unveil the defibrillator which they pooled together with other key members in the community to purchase.
The defibrillator, in memory of Janet Thorning, a much-loved member of the local bingo group was funded by the Janner Men’s Shed, the local community including the shops and local pub and the Bingo group through combined and separate fundraisers. All of the funders came together to put their money into the pot towards the defibrillator, following three medical emergencies that took place near the Hall last winter, with the nearest one being located over a mile away.
Barbara, the host of the Bingo Group worked with AEDdonate, an organisation who is committed to improving survival from out of hospital cardiac arrests, supporting the placement and use of Automated External Defibrillators (AED) to local communities, who were extremely supportive with the fundraising process and the organising of the defibrillator, kindly donating £200 towards it.
Barbara also mentioned the amazing efforts and kindness of the local community and friends of Janet, who all came together and supported with donations.
She told as many people as she could about their fundraising efforts and the need for the device in the Leigham area and one day, Barbara received a call from AEDdonate to let her know that an anonymous individual had been in touch with them, and had contributed the rest of the funds to pay for the defibrillator, as well as funding an eight year plan to ensure the longevity of the device.
Everyone involved was delighted with this news, and extremely grateful for the ‘mystery donator’ for their generous contribution and through the support of AEDdonate, it was installed on Tuesday 24 June 2025.
It was unveiled by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth, Councillor Kathy Watkin during the event, in front of many of the local community, the Janner Men’s Shed, friends and family and more and it was a fantastic day to celebrate the hard work of the community in making this happen.
Barbara Jarvis, bingo host and custodian of the defibrillator, said: “After taking over the bingo at Leigham Community Hall and experiencing a number of medical incidents within the group, it brought to light how important it was to continue the fundraising for a defibrillator, to protect not only the bingo group but the wider Leigham community.
“It was great to pool our money together with The Janner Men’s Shed, Lee’s News, the local pub and the rest of the community to fund the device, with everyone being so generous and the news that a mystery donator had covered the remaining costs and paid for an eight-year plan was truly incredible. Without this, it wouldn’t have been possible, so we are truly grateful to them for what they have done for us.
“Fundraising and organising the defibrillator was extremely hard work but it was totally worth it. So far, it hasn’t needed to be used, but its good to be there in case it is ever needed.”
Andy, local resident and Chairman at the Janner Men’s Shed, said: “Everyone has been so generous in donating money towards getting a defibrillator, and by pooling our money with the local community and the kind donation from the mystery individual we have been able to purchase the defibrillator and it is great to celebrate it today.
“It is very important to us that we have a defibrillator here, and it provides reassurance to us all if we ever need it. I have never been so reassured.
“The hard work over the last three four months has been totally worth it, and seeing the huge amount of community spirit is what it’s all about.”
David Loynes, Treasurer of the Forder Valley Mission Community, which owns & runs Leigham Community Hall, said:
“It’s very good that the whole community have been involved in funding and organising the defibrillator. It is really positive, and it shows how big of a part Leigham Community Hall plays in the community. We hope to be successful in future funding to help us further refurbish the Hall, so it can continue to be used for many years to come.”
Karina, owner at Lee’s News, family run newsagents in the heart of Leigham, said: “Each year we choose what we’re going to raise money for, and in October we started to raise money for the community defibrillator. It was fantastic to club our money together with The Janner Men’s Shed and others to be able to purchase something to help the community, which is something we always try to do.
“It was great to watch the unveiling today by the Lord Mayor of Plymouth and to see so many of the local community getting involved.”
Ryan Huws, Communities Worker at Plymouth Community Homes (PCH), said: “Although the Janner Men’s Shed have attended numerous community events with a stall, this was the first time that they’d held their own Open Day. There’s a lovely community feel in Leigham with local groups and businesses being so supportive. The weather was perfect, and it was great to see Leigham coming together to celebrate having their own community defibrillator”.
