A GRIEVING husband honoured his cherished late wife’s memory by having a life-saving defibrillator installed in Leftwich in her name.
Kevin Gardiner generously donated money for the unusual but touching memorial to his late wife Barbara because he knew she would have been ‘chuffed’ at the thought of helping save someone life.
Barbara, who lived on London Road in her early teens and later worked for many years at a care home there, sadly died in 2025.
Hoping to create a lasting legacy in her name, Kevin chose to donate towards the installation of a 24-hour publicly accessible device – also called an automated external defibrillator (AED) - to help protect the local community she remembered so dearly.
Kevin said: "Barbara had many happy memories of her early teen years on Leftwich.
"It just seemed perfect to support the installation of this life-saving AED when the opportunity arose.
“I know Barbara would have been thrilled knowing her legacy could potentially save someone's life."
The AED was installed by Northwich Town Council with additional funding provided by Leftwich ward's Cllr Rachel Waterman.
It forms part of the council's ongoing commitment to improving public safety across the town.
Northwich Town Council has now installed 28 publicly accessible 24-hour AEDs throughout the town.
These vital devices have already been used in emergency situations and have helped save lives within the community.
Residents are encouraged to familiarise themselves with the location of their nearest AED.
In the event of a cardiac emergency, the emergency services will direct callers to the nearest available device while an ambulance is on its way.
Cllr Rachel Waterman said: "There was no hesitation in contributing towards this installation in Leftwich.
“Kevin's incredibly generous donation in memory of Barbara is a wonderful way to celebrate her life while providing a lasting benefit to the Leftwich community.
“Every additional AED installed increases the chances of saving a life, and I am proud to have supported this important project."
A spokesperson for Northwich Town Council added: "We are extremely grateful to Kevin for his generous donation and for choosing to honour Barbara's memory in such a meaningful way.
“Publicly accessible AEDs play a vital role in increasing survival rates following a cardiac arrest, and this installation is another important step in ensuring our communities have access to life-saving equipment when every second counts.
“Barbara's legacy will live on through the lives this AED may help to save."
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