A DEFIBRILLATOR has been donated to the chapel in Brooks, between Vaynor and Bettews, by the charity Welsh Hearts.

A presentation was held on Monday, March 9, when the life-saving equipment was handed over to the local community.

Local residents Peter Elvis said: “We are determined to keep Brooks going, both as a reference to the history of Wales and as a living, vital community for the future.

“One of the things we decided to do was install a defibrillator and first aid kit in our chapel. Amazingly, Welsh Hearts donated a defibrillator to us immediately.”

The population of Brooks is scattered and the chapel is the only public building left in the area after the school and church closed.

One of those there to collect the defibrillator was Tracey Dunn, who was instrumental in pursuing this donation and received the defibrillator from Welsh Hearts representative.

The newly-acquired defibrillator will be housed in the entrance to Brooks Chapel.

In addition to this, life saving kit will be available to the public.

The residents of Brooks are also attending training sessions to learn more about CPR and how to administer this procedure correctly.

Welsh Hearts was formed in 2013 by Sharon Owen. It aims to provide defibrillators and CPR training for the Welsh public. It also aims to ensure that money raised in Wales is spent within Wales on heart-related projects.

“We are so grateful to Welsh Hearts. It means that we can keep our community alive in more ways than one,” said Peter.