THE First public access defibrillator to be located in Gisburn has been unveiled at Gisburn Festival Hall.

The life-saving equipment has been bought by villagers after they raised £3,700.

Gisburn Cubs helped by bringing in £550 through a £5 challenge and children from Gisburn Primary School added £113 from the sale of Christmas cards. But the biggest event was a charity lunch hosted by Cinzia and Maurizio Bocchi at their restaurant, La Locanda, which raised £2,655.

Matt Dugdale, co-ordinator of the project to install defibrillators across the Ribble Valley, said: "Gisburn has truly been the shining star of all the villages."

Festival Hall secretary and parish councillor David Waters said: “We set a target of £1,500. I never expected we would achieve more than double that amount in just a few months. That has allowed us to buy a second defibrillator, which will soon be located towards the eastern end of the village.”

There will be a defibrillator familiarisation course, run by the North West Ambulance Service, at Gisburn Festival Hall on Monday, March 7, from 7pm to 9pm. The course is free and local people are encouraged to go along.