In memory of her late husband Steve, Karen Davies, from Redcar, began her charitable mission to install as many defibrillators as possible across Redcar and Cleveland. The latest defibrillator donated as part of her charity was installed outside The Regent Cinema.
In January 2022, after Steve’s sudden death at 65 caused by a cardiac arrest due to a heart disease, Karen and her family made it their mission to help prevent other people from experiencing such a painful loss. Karen and Steve’s children, Sarah and Scott, are the ones who initiated the fund raise.
During his life, Steve volunteered for several local charities and organisations such as The Beavers, Clark Lister Brain Haemorrhage, The Sporting Bears and Forever 12. He had also coached junior football teams, managing Marske United for 5 years, as well as being a forest ranger at Flatts Lane Country Park and a steward at the Tour de Yorkshire bike race.
Due to Steve’s extensive connections both with local businesses and charities through his volunteering work, the family managed to raise £9,000.
This sum allowed them to acquire 8 defibrillators to date, each one of them having a commemorative plaque saying: ‘A Gift from Steve, 2022’. The defibrillators were installed in various places across the borough, including 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. The most recent one can be found outside The Regent Cinema.
Karen said:
“We are one very proud family. Having a defibrillator installed at the Regent was an important achievement for me, not only because Steve and I loved going to the cinema, but also because this is a central location for public use. Hopefully, they will never be needed, but if they save one life, it will all have been worth it. We are grateful to Cllr. Carl Quartermain for the support he offered us to get permission to have it installed.”
Cabinet Member for Health, Welfare and Housing, Cllr Ursula Earl, said:
“Seeing the number of defibrillators installed within Redcar and Cleveland grow and grow as time passes, makes me extremely glad. It is the kind of device that you hope will never need to be used, but when it is used could save someone’s life and prevent a tragedy from happening.”
Cabinet Member for Transport and Highways and Ward Member for Cotham, Cllr Carl Quartermain, who supported Karen’s initiative to have a defibrillator installed at the Regent, said:
“I would like to thank Karen for her donation and for her determination to install more defibrillators in accessible locations across Redcar and Cleveland. In time, I would like to see defibrillators installed on as many of our public buildings as possible.”