❤️ ANOTHER BUSY DAY FOR MISSEDABEAT – AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO! ❤️ 🚨 RESTART A HEART WEEK 2026 🚨

❤️ ANOTHER BUSY DAY FOR MISSEDABEAT – AND THIS IS EXACTLY WHY WE DO WHAT WE DO! ❤️

🚨 RESTART A HEART WEEK 2026 🚨

📍 Newton Aycliffe, Aycliffe Business Park & School Aycliffe

Well, what a day we've had! 🚗❤️

Today we've been out and about visiting businesses, checking community defibrillators, catching up with guardians and identifying a few issues along the way.

21 defibrillators across 19 locations featured in today's rounds!

And if there's one thing today has highlighted, it's something I've said many times before.

Installing a defibrillator is only the beginning. Making sure it's maintained, regularly checked and emergency-ready is just as important!

With the number of defibrillators MISSEDABEAT has helped install across our communities, we rely heavily on the fantastic businesses and individuals who agree to become guardians.

And when something doesn't look right, we'll always do our best to help put it right.

❤️ HERE'S HOW OUR DAY WENT!

✅ GLOW CHURCH – NEWTON AYCLIFFE

Our first stop of the day!

The community defibrillator was checked and the cabinet given a good clean.

A great start to what turned out to be a very busy day.

A big thank you to our friends at Glow Church for their continued support. ❤️

✅ RUFF 'N' TUMBLE – NEWTON AYCLIFFE

Another community defibrillator checked and confirmed emergency-ready.

It's fantastic to see local businesses playing their part in helping protect the wider community.

✅ 3M – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

Next up was 3M, where we carried out checks on three defibrillators across the site.

We already carry out quarterly checks on all three devices, working alongside and supporting their dedicated guardian, Lee.

Lee is fantastic at keeping in touch and knows that if any issues arise with the devices, he can contact us straight away.

That's exactly how guardianship should work!

The three devices were checked, with hygiene kits present and green status indicators showing.

A massive thank you to Lee for taking his responsibilities seriously and helping ensure these devices remain emergency-ready. 👏❤️

✅ SIESTA COFFEE DRIVE THRU – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

Another community defibrillator checked and confirmed emergency-ready.

We were already aware that the cabinet was being relocated, but we wanted to call in and check everything following the move.

The cabinet is now positioned to the left-hand side of the building, close to the drive-through signage.

It's important that the location details on The Circuit reflect the new position so people can find the device quickly in an emergency.

✅ C&A EMBROIDERY & PRINT – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

Great to pop in and catch up with Laura and the team!

Laura has been a fantastic supporter of MISSEDABEAT, helping with our branding, T-shirts and, most recently, producing our Great North Run running vests.

But her support doesn't stop there!

Laura is also the guardian of the community defibrillator outside the premises, alongside one of our MISSEDABEAT Bleed Control Kits.

Today we checked the defibrillator and gave the cabinet a good clean.

A massive thank you to Laura and the team for everything they continue to do for us! ❤️

✅ PALRAM – GATE 4

Another community defibrillator checked at the Goods Inward entrance.

There's also a Bleed Control Kit available alongside the device.

Having this lifesaving equipment available across industrial estates is incredibly important, with so many people working and visiting these sites every day.

🚨 GIFTS INTERNATIONAL – AN IMPORTANT DISCOVERY!

This was probably one of the most important finds of the day.

During our inspection, we identified an error showing on the defibrillator.

From the outside, everything appeared perfectly fine.

The cabinet was there, the device was inside, but the defibrillator itself was showing a fault.

Rather than leave the location without lifesaving equipment, we returned with a replacement.

A temporary replacement defibrillator is now in place, while we've taken the original device away to investigate the fault.

The important thing is that the location hasn't been left without a defibrillator.

And this is exactly why these checks matter!

A defibrillator can look perfectly fine sitting inside its cabinet, but that doesn't necessarily mean everything is working as it should.

✅ HUSQVARNA – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

Another defibrillator checked at the entrance to the site.

The ZOLL AED Plus was inspected and confirmed emergency-ready.

✅ THE FISH TANK – NEWTON AYCLIFFE

Another community defibrillator checked and confirmed emergency-ready.

A big thank you to Lucy and the team for continuing to support having this lifesaving equipment available to the community.

❤️ AYCLIFFE VILLAGE HALL – SCHOOL AYCLIFFE

Another important visit today.

I'd been contacted by local councillor Carl, who worked alongside us a couple of years ago to help get this community defibrillator installed.

The existing pads are approaching their expiry date at the end of November.

We've supplied a replacement set, with an expiry date of August 2028, ready for the changeover.

It's another example of how important it is to monitor expiry dates and make sure replacement consumables are available when required.

👏 NHC GROUP LTD – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

This was a particularly worthwhile visit!

MISSEDABEAT originally installed the community defibrillator at this location, and since the building had been unoccupied for a period, we'd continued overseeing the device and carrying out checks.

NHC Group have now moved into the premises, so today I had the opportunity to speak with Perry, one of the managers, about the importance of ongoing guardianship and maintenance.

Once they're fully established, Perry is going to get back in touch so we can look at nominating somebody from their health and safety team to take over the guardianship responsibilities.

We'll then arrange to go through everything with them.

We also discussed their other sites in Boldon and Darlington, where there may be opportunities to work together in the future.

A really positive conversation and hopefully the beginning of another great working relationship! ❤️

✅ RAMSEY'S GARAGE – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

Another community defibrillator checked during today's rounds.

It was also great to catch up with Ian, who was updating The Circuit following the inspection.

It's brilliant to see people taking the time to make sure the records are kept up to date, because having a defibrillator available is one thing, but making sure the ambulance service has accurate information is just as important.

⚽❤️Ian also mentioned that he'd like a minimum of four tickets for our charity event on 27th November! ⚽❤️

That's another four people hopefully joining us for what promises to be a fantastic evening with Peter Beardsley, Chris Waddle and Rob Lee.

A massive thank you to Ian for the continued support. It's always appreciated!

✅ GESTAMP TALLENT – GATEHOUSE

Another visit to our friends at Gestamp, where we checked the community defibrillator and Bleed Control Kit at the gatehouse.

Gestamp have been fantastic supporters of MISSEDABEAT over the years, and we're incredibly grateful for everything they've done to help us make a difference.

⚠️ CRAFTER'S COMPANION – AYCLIFFE BUSINESS PARK

Now, this was another visit that highlighted exactly why regular inspections are so important.

I'd noticed that routine checks hadn't been getting recorded on The Circuit, so I decided to call in and investigate.

And I'm pleased I did!

The cabinet needed a good clean, and there was stagnant water inside.

We also discovered that the postcode displayed on the front of the cabinet had become unreadable due to weathering.

That might sound like a small issue, but imagine somebody unfamiliar with the area needing a defibrillator in an emergency.

If they can't clearly identify their location when speaking to the ambulance service, valuable time could be lost.

And when somebody suffers a cardiac arrest, every minute matters!

We also discovered that our previous contact, Phil, had since moved on.

Thankfully, we've now been given the contact details for Tracy, and we'll be working together to identify somebody to take over guardianship responsibilities.

This isn't about pointing fingers or blaming anybody.

It's about identifying problems, offering support and making sure everything gets back on track.

❤️ MITSUBISHI CHEMICAL GROUP – NORTHFIELD WAY

Another stop during today's rounds was Mitsubishi Chemical, where there's a community defibrillator located outside the site.

I also want to give a special mention to John, who oversees the device as its guardian.

John is a fantastic example of somebody who takes his responsibilities seriously.

He keeps in regular contact with me, and whenever anything needs attention or he's unsure about something, he knows he can get in touch and we'll do our best to support him.

That's exactly the relationship we want to build with every defibrillator guardian.

It's not about leaving somebody to deal with everything on their own. It's about working together to make sure these devices are looked after and available when needed.

A big thank you to John and everyone at Mitsubishi Chemical for their continued support. 👏❤️

✅ OAKLEAF SPORTS COMPLEX – NEWTON AYCLIFFE

Another community defibrillator checked and confirmed emergency-ready.

Having lifesaving equipment available at sporting facilities is incredibly important, with so many people participating in physical activities throughout the week.

❤️ WEST CEMETERY – NEWTON AYCLIFFE

Another visit to one of our community defibrillator locations, where a Bleed Control Kit is also available.

Emergencies can happen anywhere, and having lifesaving equipment accessible within our communities can make a real difference.

❤️ WEST COTTAGES – SCHOOL AYCLIFFE

Our final stop of the day was the community defibrillator on School Aycliffe Lane, beside the bus stop.

This one is particularly special to us.

We installed this defibrillator in January 2025, with local residents Mark and Bev becoming its guardians.

Within days of being installed, the defibrillator was activated in an emergency!

That alone demonstrates why we continue working so hard to get these devices installed in our communities.

We also noticed some vegetation growing around the cabinet, which we'll keep an eye on to make sure it remains visible and accessible.

A big thank you to Mark and Bev for their continued support. ❤️

❤️ SO WHAT HAS TODAY TAUGHT US?

Quite a lot, actually!

During today's visits we've identified:

⚠️ A defibrillator displaying an error that needed replacing.

⚠️ Stagnant water inside a cabinet.

⚠️ Important postcode information that had become unreadable.

⚠️ A relocated cabinet requiring its location details to be checked.

⚠️ Guardianship arrangements needing attention following changes in staff.

⚠️ Replacement pads approaching their expiry date.

⚠️ Vegetation growing around a community defibrillator.

And most importantly, we've taken action or arranged follow-ups to address these issues.

But I want to make one thing very clear.

Whenever MISSEDABEAT works alongside a business or organisation to install a community defibrillator, we always stress the importance of having a dedicated guardian.

That guardian is responsible for carrying out regular checks, monitoring the device and ensuring its information on The Circuit is kept up to date.

With the number of defibrillators we've helped install, it's simply not possible for us to personally inspect every single one every month.

That's why guardianship is so important!

And if somebody moves on to pastures new, it's absolutely essential that those responsibilities are handed over to somebody else.

We're talking about lifesaving equipment here.

If we notice checks haven't been recorded or something doesn't look right, we'll always do our best to investigate, offer support and help put things right.

Because putting a yellow cabinet on a wall and walking away isn't what MISSEDABEAT is about!

❤️ RESTART A HEART WEEK❤️

With it being Restart a Heart Week, I really wanted to highlight what goes on behind the scenes.

We often celebrate the installation of a new community defibrillator, and rightly so!

But the ongoing work is just as important.

The checking, cleaning, replacing pads, updating The Circuit, supporting guardians and identifying potential problems.

These are the things that don't always get noticed.

But they're absolutely crucial.

A defibrillator might sit untouched for months or even years.

However, when somebody suffers a cardiac arrest, that device needs to be ready there and then.

There's no time to start wondering whether the battery works, whether the pads are in date or whether anyone has checked it recently.

❤️ MASSIVE THANK YOU TO OUR GUARDIANS AND LOCAL BUSINESSES❤️

To everyone who takes the time to check their community defibrillator, report issues and keep The Circuit updated, thank you!

You really are making a difference.

And if you're responsible for a defibrillator but aren't sure when it was last checked, please don't ignore it.

Get in touch, and we'll happily offer guidance.

It's been a long day travelling around Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding areas, but days like today remind me exactly why we started MISSEDABEAT.

It's not just about how many defibrillators we install. It's about how many are ready to save a life when they're needed most.

❤️ EVERY HEART CAN MISS A BEAT! ❤️

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#GlowChurch #RuffNTumble #3M #3MAycliffe #SiestaCoffeeDriveThru #CAEmbroideryAndPrint #Palram #PalramUK #GiftsInternational #Husqvarna #HusqvarnaUK #TheFishTank #AycliffeVillageHall #NHCGroup #RamseysGarage #Gestamp #GestampTallent #CraftersCompanion #MitsubishiChemical #MitsubishiChemicalGroup #OakleafSportsComplex #WestCemetery #WestCottages