BURNHAM’S rescue hovercraft charity BARB Search & Rescue has been given a funding boost by Somerset County Council.

Burnham and Highbridge county councillors Peter Burridge-Clayton and John Woodman presented £1,000 towards the cost of a new defibrillator and training for crewmembers at the seafront-based charity.

Cllr Burridge-Clayton said: “We have presented £500 from each of our council Health and Wellbeing Funds to enable BARB to purchase a much-needed defibrillator.

“We hope the new equipment will help this long-running charity save even more lives during the coming years.”

After a cardiac arrest, every minute without CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and defibrillation reduces someone’s chance of survival by 10%. Once in position, the defibrillator detects the heart’s rhythm and won’t deliver a shock unless one is needed.

BARB Search & Rescue is a registered charity that is run entirely by volunteers. It has helped and rescued hundreds of people over the past 22 years.

More details about how to help BARB and get involved with fundraising and as a crewmember are available at www.burnham-onsea.com/barb