Having a defibrillator nearby can literally be a matter of life and death.
That's why last month the government announced a new £1 million fund - to hopefully put 2,000 more of these life-savers into local communities.
We're inviting bids from places like town halls, community centres, local shops, post offices and local parks - aiming to making sure defibrillators are evenly spread throughout communities and easily accessible if the unthinkable should happen.
As Minister of State in the Health Department I've been working on rolling out the scheme, and I would really love for our local area to benefit. We’ve already got some defibrillators locally – like this one at Bearsted station – but every new one means more opportunities to save a life.
Please do have a think if you know of a good spot for one. Whether it's one of our local playing fields, village high streets, or tourist hotspots - the more bids we can get in the better our chances are.
You can read a bit more about the criteria here - but essentially we're looking for areas where they'll be most needed, like places with high footfall, vulnerable people, rural areas, or where activities take place. Organisations like parish councils and sports clubs really well placed to apply, but any community organisation can put in a bid.
Success could mean saving a life.
