JCDecaux UK interview Mayor of Greater Manchester Andy Burnham on the importance of their defibrillators
21st May 2024
Andy Burnham, Mayor of Greater Manchester understands the difference that easily accessible, public access defibrillators can make when it comes to saving lives – taking part in a short video interview with JCDecaux UK, the Out-of-Home media company that is bringing on-street defibrillators to cities UK-wide, with 18 located in Manchester. The interview comes as JCDecaux UK approaches its milestone moment of 300 on-street defibrillators across the UK.
The Mayor’s views have been shaped by personal experience – he recalls sprinting into Manchester’s Town Hall several years ago to bring a defibrillator to the aid of a man who had collapsed in the street outside, and whose life was saved – in part due to this timely intervention.
He says, “In these moments you need clear visibility of where to go. I’ve long called for a publicly accessible network of sites so that people can find one. Working with JCDecaux and the Councils we can bring this together for Greater Manchester.” He continues, “People shouldn’t be frightened of the defibrillator, it’s the simplest thing you could possibly use. It talks to you, it tells you what to do. It is so easy, but it is so transformative.”
The defibrillators are delivered thanks to a unique partnership between JCDecaux UK and The Community Heartbeat Trust Charity. The defibrillators are housed inside on-street Communication Hubs which are provided to Manchester by JCDecaux, paid for by the advertising on the reverse of the Hub, are zero cost to the public purse. In addition to a defibrillator, the Communication Hubs offer a range of services such as charging points and Wi-Fi.
The Communication Hubs also carry public messaging, including for the Greater Manchester Mayor’s Charity and the Greater Manchester Police. The Mayor says, “There’s a real benefit to having that kind of public messaging for the city alongside the defibrillator….Manchester’s a place that works on strong partnerships… and we always expect our partners to give a bit back to the city. We expect that of all our partners and are really pleased by how this public defibrillator scheme is rolling out”.
Since JCDecaux’s Communication Hubs were first installed in Manchester in September 2021, the defibrillators have been activated (used) over 100 times.