As a community group we have provided several defibrillators throughout the village. Thanks to the generosity of local businesses we have been able to site these prominently and the ongoing cost of the electricity is being met by the shop owners etc. Once a defibrillator is used however, we have to replace pads and batteries at the cost of £100 and we fundraise and apply for grants to meet these and other costs in the community.
Twice recently a defibrillator has been used by the local care home, that's not a problem, indeed residents are part of the community. As we run on goodwil and fundraising we have asked the care home management if they would contribute to the cost of the consumables. Our contention is that they are a business, a profit making business, therefore using the equipment FOC is taking advantage of other people's generosity.
The management are being quite aggressive and uncooperative. Are we wrong in asking for a contribution from them?
To think that London, or anywhere else for that matter, does not belong to any one demographic