A £2,000 community defibrillator was unveiled by the mayor of Nailsworth on Saturday after fire crews stood in the wind and rain to raise the money required.

Nailsworth Fire Station raised £1,000 for the life-saving device in December by braving the elements to collect donations in Nailsworth and Minchinhampton for the Nailsworth Health Partnership (NHP).

Thanks to their efforts, a community access defibrillator (cPAD), which is suitable for untrained users, can now be found at King George V playing fields.

“Needless to say, NHP were delighted. If the unthinkable happens and your heart stops, having a defibrillator nearby can save your life,” said NHP treasurer Marilyn Miles.

“You don’t have to be a fireman to use a fire extinguisher, and you don’t have to be a paramedic to use a cPAD,” said the charity Community Heartbeat Trust, stressing the importance of the equipment as 30,000 cardiac arrests occur outside hospital a year in the UK.

A defibrillator delivers an electric shock to the heart that restores a normal heartbeat. Following a 999 call, the ambulance service locates the nearest cPAD and gives instructions on how to use it over the phone.

The South Western Ambulance Trust said: “You can never have too many defibrillators.”

Cardiac arrest can affect any age and occurs without warning. Middle-aged and older people are at greatest risk, but athletes and sports people suffer too.

NHP intends to install another cPAD in the de-commissioned telephone box next to the green at Shortwood.

Anyone wishing to donate to the cause is welcome to contact Marilyn Miles.