MONEY raised at a monthly social luncheon club has been used to install a defibrillator in Hexhamshire.

Members of Hexhamshire WI put more than £1,400 raised at the regular function towards the defibrillator which has been erected on the wall at Whitley Chapel Parish Hall.

On the first Friday of every month, the WI open its doors to serve soup and bread, and coffee, to visitors. Since it was started three years ago, a total of 26 different soups have been dished up and a grand total of £3,322 raised.

The purchase of the defibrillator, spearheaded by Christine Hall, is the organisation’s second project to improve the hall through the proceeds from the lunch, with £1,500 donated towards the purchase of new curtains.

Hexhamshire WI president, Joyce Willis, said: “We do the lunch club as an ongoing fund-raiser for the parish hall, and we decided to buy the defibrillator, which has now been installed. There’s no other equipment like this nearby, so the hall is quite central as many organisations use the hall or are nearby, such as the school, church and football club.”

A training session on how to use the defibrillator will take place on Tuesday, February 12, between 6pm and 8pm. The next social lunch will be held on Friday, February 1, between 11.30am and 1pm.