A COMMUNITY is celebrating the return of a lifesaving defibrillator, made possible by months of determined community fund-raising.

The campaign began in April 2025 when Valerie May discovered Tonedale was without a defibrillator and decided something had to be done.

Her call for help quickly gathered momentum, with Julee-Ann Underhill joining forces with Valerie and the team at The One Stop Shop stepping up to support the cause by placing collection boxes in the shop.

Sarah Macri, manager of One Stop Shop, said: “We have had a few teething problems with setting the defibrillator up but we were more than happy to support this project.

“We previously had a defibrillator at this location, but when the former owners left, it was taken with them, leaving Tonedale without access to one.”

The defibrillator was installed on the outside wall of The One Stop Shop in Tonedale on Tuesday, January 20.

Registered with the ambulance service, it is available for use 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Valerie said: “Hopefully the defibrillator will never be used. But if it needs to be, the resource is there for anyone in need.”

Before the new defibrillator was installed, anyone in Tonedale needing access to one would have had to travel to Beech Grove Primary School, a 15 minute walk away.

The total cost of installing the defibrillator was £1,800, with support coming from a range of local groups.

Wellington Hospital League of Friends donated £700 and Wellington Rugby Club bingo raised £300.

The remaining funds were raised by Hair Suite 7, along with donation boxes placed in The One Stop Shop.

Their next fundraising endeavour will be to install a bleed kit in The One Stop Shop.

So far they have already raised £90 towards this goal.