Life-saving equipment to be installed in town centre

A bleed control kit and defibrillator will be installed at the Nationwide branch in Warminster.

The equipment will be installed on an external wall of the Grade II listed building in Market Place as part of a national rollout by the building society.

To help build public confidence in using the equipment, Nationwide is also working with St John Ambulance to roll out volunteer-led training in life-saving skills. This will be offered to employees before expanding into Heart of Community sessions, giving local people the knowledge and confidence to carry out CPR, use defibrillators and understand how to treat a severe bleed in an emergency.

Amanda Beech, Nationwide’s director of retail services, said, “Nationwide’s unique reach as the UK’s largest branch network gives us the ability to put life-saving equipment where it matters most – in places people already know and trust in their communities. By transforming our branches into visible, emergency hubs, we’re making it easier to access help when every second counts.

“Crucially, we’re also offering training to all our branch colleagues, before extending that training into the communities we serve. We want more people to feel prepared, confident and ready to act when it matters most.”

Professor Andrew Hartle, Chief Medical Officer at St John Ambulance, said, “We’re so pleased to work with Nationwide and Visa on this project, which so perfectly meets St John Ambulance’s mission to put the power of first aid into everyone’s hands.”

Nationwide has committed to installing the equipment at all of its 605 branches by the end of the year.