A THRIVING Dee Valley business has given back to the local community.

Corwen and its surrounding community has benefited from the donation of a defibrillator thanks to local business Ruth Lee Ltd.

Working closely with the emergency services and other rescue organisations for almost 30 years, Ruth Lee Ltd are experts in manufacturing rescue training manikins.

Despite challenging times with Brexit and the global pandemic affecting trade, the business continued to thrive and has been able to donate further lifesaving equipment in the form of a defibrillator (also known as a PAD – Public Access Defibrillator) to its local community.

Ruth Lee Ltd has now donated four PADs to the town of Corwen, where it has employed local people in its factory for over 20 years, plus another to the village of Glyndyfrdwy, where its head office is based.

Defibrillators are vital to increase the chance of survival of someone suffering a sudden cardiac arrest.

If a defibrillator is used within the first minute, the survival rate can be as high as 90 per cent.

If a defibrillator is used within the first three-to-five minutes, the likelihood of survival is roughly 74 per cent, this proves that having a defibrillator close by really does make a huge difference.

The latest PAD was supplied via the Welsh Ambulance Service, who closely monitor the equipment and help to supply any ‘sundries’ it requires either due to use in an emergency or for any out-of-date parts.

Susan Edwards, director at Ruth Lee, said: “We are really proud to supply another PAD to the town of Corwen from our social commitment fund, after a local resident Jonny Lawton, a community first responder for the Welsh Ambulance Service, and who has just won their Volunteer Community First Responder of the year award, approached us to see if we could help finance another.

"Our main aim as a business is to support professionals who save lives and therefore, we were only too happy to oblige.

"This latest PAD is situated at Siop Julie, on Clawdd Poncen and will mean that the local people will be able to access a defibrillator much quicker in an emergency. We send our thanks to Siop Julie for agreeing to let us position the defib on their building.

"If you are with someone who suffers a cardiac arrest, we encourage you to call 999 immediately and ask for the ambulance service.

"They have access to ‘The Circuit’ which tells them the location of the most local, working defibrillator."

Ruth Lee has now supplied four PADs in the town, and they are located on The Square, Corwen Memorial Park, in Maesafallen at the care home and the most recently in Clawdd Poncen.

There is also one at the village hall in Glyndyfrdwy.

Managing director Paul McDonnell added: “2017 was the inaugural year for our social commitment projects and we are proud that in a year that has been so difficult for so many, we have been able to continue to support the local community.

"We started from humble beginnings as a family business and want to make sure that we hold onto the family values which have helped us succeed.

"As well as our local social commitment projects, we also run a project called Volunteer Heroes which offers support to the international volunteer rescue community and the vital work they do.

"I am proud of the team at Ruth Lee, and how we have pulled together in the pandemic, and of the contribution we are able to make to our community and our customers, who are heroes in every sense of the word.”