Barratt Developments is this week donating 400 defibrillators from its sites across the UK to help in the fight against coronavirus.
The housebuilder is this week donating the defibrillators, usually used on its construction sites, to St John Ambulance. The Southern Counties division of Barratt Developments has provided 14 pieces of the life-saving equipment, from its new home’s developments in Sussex.
St Johns Ambulance is now on the frontline supporting people and communities through coronavirus, helping to take the strain from the NHS. It has started a nationwide appeal – called Take the Strain – to source desperately needed equipment to help it in the vital role it is playing, including 1,000 defibrillators.
Responding to the call for help, Barratt has committed to donating the defibrillators from all its sites – an estimated 400, worth more than £300,000. Teams from Barratt are urgently gathering up the defibrillators from their sites across the country so they can get them to where they are needed in the next few days.
As part of its UK response to support the fight against coronavirus, Barratt Developments has also donated £100,000 to the NHS Charities Together appeal which supports 250 NHS charities across the UK collectively.
These moves follow an earlier initiative last week from the housebuilder to donate personal protective items, including thousands of high quality FFP3 face masks, gloves and hand sanitiser, to local NHS hospitals and social care services.
Julian Hodder, Managing Director for Barratt Southern Counties, said: “We are pleased to be able to donate this essential equipment to where it is urgently needed – and to help St John Ambulance and the NHS who are on the frontline. We are indebted to our NHS and so where we can assist with their efforts and help to save lives, both here in Sussex and across the UK, we will continue to do everything we can.”
Barratt Developments took the decision to temporarily close all of its offices and construction sites two weeks ago in order to protect customers, employees and the public.