On 09 September 2023, Bill Stephen, the Landlord of The Bricklayers Arms in Crowbrough, suffered a cardiac arrest
Following the 999 call made to South East Coast Ambulance Service, it was one of our Community First Responders who arrived on scene within a couple of minutes
Despite the efforts of our team member, frontline ambulance crews and a Critical Care Paramedic, Bill sadly passed away
Following Bill’s passing, his wife Dawn, Landlady of pub they ran together, decided to focus efforts on fundraising for Public Access Defibrillators in the communities that we serve
In the first year of fundraising, over £9,900 was raised and 8 Public Access Defibrillators have been funded, 6 of which have already been installed
Dawn has done all this through our Charity and her tireless work and involvement, saw her named as our Charity President in 2024. Dawn has also been named as a finalist after being nominated for the BBC Make A Difference Awards – the winner being announced on 30 September 2024
The work of placing Public Access Defibrillators in our communities is a key focus of Dawn and our Charity, and one that will require lots of fundraising and will take many years to complete, based on the number we need in the area we serve
Bill was a larger than life character and both Bill and Dawn held in love and high regard in our community. If you wish to donate specifically to the Bill Stephen Memorial Fund, then please CLICK HERE
