SMI hopes to save lives

A Telford manufacturing company has invested in a new outdoor defibrillator which it hopes will make a life-saving difference to the local community.

Seymour Manufacturing International Limited (SMI) says it was motivated by distressing scenes at the Euro 2020 football tournament, when Denmark star Christian Eriksen collapsed in front of live TV cameras.

A defibrillator, which delivers a high-energy electric shock to the heart, was used as part of the emergency treatment on the pitch that is credited with saving the footballer's life.

SMI director Jill Seymour said: “Those powerful scenes brought into graphic focus just how important it is to be able to act swiftly in instances like this.

“Fast use of a defibrillator can increase a patient’s survival rates by up to 70% - yet there are relatively few public defibrillators in Telford, in comparison with the town’s growing population. I would like encourage others to consider having one installed.

“We are right in the heart of the Stafford Park Industrial estate, where thousands of people are employed, and felt that this small gesture on our part was the least we could do. After all, what's the cost of a defibrillator if one day it is able to save somebody's life?"

Lloyds Electrical Design Limited, from Old Park in Telford, also stepped forward to install the defibrillator at SMI’s premises, free of charge.

The SMI defibrillator is now registered with the local ambulance service and the National Defibrillator Database so it can be easily found in an emergency.

SMI is a specialist in thermal protection and insulation products, and works with blue-chip brands, including retailers Waitrose, Morrisons, ASDA, Sainsbury’s, Marks & Spencer, The Co-operative, and Lidl. It also supplies the NHS, the Ministry of Defence, logistics industry and pharmaceuticals companies.

Pictured: The SMI team with the defibrillator outside their headquarters, on the Stafford Park industrial estate in Telford