Cuckfield Defibrillators update - How to use a defib machine

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At Cuckfield Life, we’d like to encourage everyone living and working in the village to familiarise themselves with the sites of the life-saving defibrillator machines in Cuckfield and Bolnore and learn how to use them.

Inside defibrillators:
Golf Centre on Staplefield Rd
Rugby Club Whitemans Green
Cosmos Football Club (Portable) Whitemans Green
Holy Trinity School on Glebe Rd
Warden Park, Broad Street
Holy Trinity Church on Church St
The Queen’s Hall on High Street

Outside defibrillators:
Whitemans Green playing fields
Cuckfield Baptist Church, Polestub Ln
Mansell McTaggart, High Street
Cricket Club, South Street
Staplefield Village Hall, Cuckfield Road
Staplefield Old phone box, Cuckfield Road
Bolnore School, Updown Hill
The Woodside, 120 Middle Village in Bolnore
Deaks Paddock, Ansty

We need your help to keep our defibrillators operational for the future.
We have two defibrillators paid for by our Cuckfield community. One is located on Whitemans Green (widely used for sports, picnics and recreational activities for all our residents from footballers to dog walkers), the other is located in the heart of the High Street, adjacent to The Talbot pub on the wall of Mansell McTaggart. We need £900 every six years to fund the pads and batteries and in the future we will need to fundraise to replace the actual units when they get too old. We now have a dedicated ISOC defibrillator facility for donations towards keeping these essential units operational.
If you would like to contribute to the upkeep of these units, you can make a bank transfer direct to Independent State of Cuckfield - who will ringfence any donations made with a reference ‘defibs’. ISOC Bank Account: Sort Code 20-49-76, Acc No. 20513253

Why are defibrillators so essential in our communities?
Defibrillators AEDs (Automated External Defibrillators) are the only treatment for outside hospital cardiac arrest, when available and used alongside CPR, (chest compressions) they will give our residents the very best chance of survival. The more units we have available in our community, the better the chances of survival are, as deploying them is time-critical. Every minute of delay to CPR and defibrillation will reduce the probability of survival by 10%.

Any local clubs should aim to register their details with the South East Coast Ambulance Service to enable any 999 call handlers to tell them where their nearest unit is in the village.

For those readers who aren’t sure what they would do, should they be needed to use a defibrillator in an emergency - there is an app recommended by the Resuscitation Council. To download the app, visit the website: www.resus.org.uk/apps/lifesaver

* If you know of updates to this map, do please let us know by sending an email to editor@cuckfieldlife.co.uk. *

Cuckfield's Band of Dads raise £3,000 for charity

What began as a few parents chatting at the school gate has grown into a thriving Sussex-wide community music movement, culminating in Band of Dads (BOD) proudly donating £3,000 to St Peter & St James Hospice. The money was raised entirely through live gigs, fundraising events and the generosity of audiences across Sussex. The donation was recently presented surrounded by band members, volunteers and supporters — a moment that perfectly captured what Band of Dads stands for. Band of Dads was founded in 2016 by George Budd after a group of dads discovered, through regular school-gate conversations, that they shared a passion for music. A few informal jam sessions followed, originally intended as a way to unwind and escape the daily pressures of work and family life.

Those early sessions quickly revealed something deeper. Music provided a powerful release, strengthened friendships, and created a sense of connection that many people didn’t realise they were missing. As interest grew, so did the community around it. The original group later became known as BOD Cuckfield, the founding chapter of Band of Dads. This chapter is known for being highly versatile, with a huge catalogue of songs spanning pop, classic rock ’n’ roll and punk. Their flexibility means they can fit into almost any venue or event. BOD Cuckfield can deliver: balanced sets of classic crowd-pleasers from across the decades, themed events such as Halloween parties, punk nights or 80s nights and energetic pub gigs or larger community events.

Their adaptability and recognisable setlists make them popular with a wide range of audiences. In late 2019, George launched BOD Second Chapter after realising there were still many talented musicians across Sussex who could benefit from the same sense of belonging and mental health release through music. Second Chapter brings a slightly louder and heavier edge, reworking familiar songs in their own distinctive style.

BOD Second Chapter takes well-known rock classics — and even cheesy pop favourites — and lifts them with heavier riffs, screaming guitar solos and rich vocal harmonies. With over 60 cover songs in their repertoire, their setlists comfortably range from The Beatles to Metallica, allowing them to fit a wide variety of bills while offering a more powerful sound. Across both chapters, there is one simple rule: every song must be recognisable to any audience member, regardless of age or musical taste. That shared principle ensures BOD gigs are inclusive, fun and welcoming for everyone.

A couple of years ago, Band of Dads formally became a Community Interest Company (CIC), helping to structure what had already become a growing grassroots movement. The group is entirely volunteerrun — no one is paid, and all profits go straight back into the community. They regularly play free of charge at local fundraisers, subject to availability, although balancing music with work and family life sometimes means they have to turn down requests.

The decision to support St Peter & St James Hospice was deeply personal. Many within the Band of Dads community have had loved ones cared for by the hospice, and the compassion shown during those difficult moments left a lasting impact. “Party With A Purpose isn’t just our tagline — it’s our ethos,” the group explains. “Music brings people together, lifts spirits, and gives us the chance to support causes that really matter.”

Looking ahead, Band of Dads is always keen to hear from people who want to get involved — whether by playing music, helping with sound and tech, photography, social media, marketing or event support. Just as importantly, everyone who comes to a BOD gig is playing a part.
“Without the community behind us, we simply couldn’t do what we do,” they say.

As Band of Dads approaches its ten-year anniversary, it’s clear that what started as a simple school-gate conversation in Cuckfield has grown into a powerful Sussex success story — built on music, community, and purpose.

Cuckfield's Graham Silander volunteers for Convoy4Ukraine

Cuckfield resident Graham Silander has begun working with a charity which is doing good work in Ukraine. Graham, who has been an ambulance technician for over 20 years, explained: “I’m lucky enough to have some time off work in February and March, and so I was looking at doing some charity work.”

Graham and his family hosted a Ukrainian family four years ago, and so Ukraine was still on his heart. “I wanted to see what I could do to help there. A quick Google search led me to Convoy4Ukraine.com and after a Zoom call with the founder, Tom, I was accepted on to their February convoy as a co-driver.”

Convoy4Ukraine is a registered charity founded after the Russian invasion. It raises money to buy 4x4 vehicles and retired ambulances, which are filled with vital aid supplies and driven to Ukraine. There the aid is distributed and the vehicles are handed over to Ukrainian volunteers who take them eastwards where they will be used to rescue people caught up in the fighting with no means of escape.

“The next convoy is due to depart in mid-February and I’m raising funds to join it. Every penny raised is used to purchase vehicles and aid supplies requested by our Ukrainian partners. All fuel, ferry, food and accommodation costs are covered by the volunteer drivers ourselves.”

Graham, who has plenty of experience driving ambulances, is already close to the £3.5k target, but would be grateful for any support from the Cuckfield community to help make the difference. Click here: https://gofund.me/3a51aa8cf