The Department of Health and Social Care (DHSC) is now accepting applications from local community organisations across England. A total of £1 million is being made available. An estimated 2,000 new defibrillators will be funded. The funding for the scheme is 'first come first served’ with allocations on the following basis:

· 100 applications will be selected by DHSC to receive a fully funded AED - selection is based on areas that are most in need of AED throughout England.

· 1,900 applications will receive partial DHSC funding for an AED - organisations will be required to provide their own match funding of c.£750.

Local community organisations, such as sports clubs, local theatres, community halls, etc, can apply. To be eligible, applicants must:

· Be based in England.

· Not be an organisation that is eligible for the Department of Education scheme, eg, a school.

· Locate the secure defibrillator cabinet outside in an area that is accessible to members of the public 24 hours per day.

· Be able to provide an electrical power source to ensure the defibrillator cabinet light and heater operate to keep the device at the right temperature.

· Provide match funding for their application (c. £750).

The deadline for applications is 21 September 2024 or until all the funding has been allocated, whichever comes first.