ANOTHER potentially lifesaving device has been made available 24/7 at a borough venue thanks to a local charity.

Katie's Heart Appeal's latest public access defibrillator installation is at Thameside Nature Discovery Park - Essex Wildlife Trust.

The centre did have a defib but it was inside the building and not available 24/7, however provision of an external cabinet means it is now safely available at all times.

Charity organiser Charlotte Davies said: "We have donated a 24 hour public access defibrillator cabinet to make the defibrillator that was housed inside the visitors centre accessible 24/7.

"We have also ordered a bleed control kit for this cabinet too. Hopefully this should be with us next week.

"We would like to say a huge thank-you to VK Electrical Services Ltd for installing another cabinet for us as his donation to the community, and to CEF Grays who donated all the materials that were needed for this installation.

"Also a huge thank-you to our wonderful community for your support over the past 13 years. If you would like to help fundraise for Katie's Heart Appeal, please message us via our Facebook page." 

The inspiration behind the charity is Charlotte's daughter Katie.

Here is Katie's story.

Katie has a complex heart condition called Supra Ventricular Tachycardia, PoTS and vasovagal syncope. Katie also has rare condition called Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome which affects all her connective tissue causing problems with her joints, her skin and her internal organs.

She was born with these conditions and they are genetic.

Charlotte says: "We have been fundraising for the Brompton Fountain for 10 years - doing various events as a way of saying a thank you to the Brompton Hospital for the amazing work they do and the wonderful way Katie has been cared for.

"The Brompton Fountain is a charity that supports children with life threatening heart and lung conditions and their families who are under the care of Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Foundation Trust.

"Since 2013 we have been fundraising for Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in our local community, and we have helped numerous other organisations fundraise for their own AED's working alongside the Arrhythmia Alliance, London Hearts and the British Heart Foundation's Circuit."