STA is delighted to announce that Coldingham Brave Bayers CIC, a community-led wild swimming group based at Coldingham Bay in Berwickshire, will soon become the seventh recipient of a life-saving defibrillator through its 2025 Community Heart STArters campaign.

The donation comes in recognition of the group’s tireless work promoting safe and inclusive open water swimming across Coldingham, St Abbs, and Eyemouth. Founded in 2019 and now a registered Community Interest Company, Coldingham Brave Bayers CIC is women – and disability-led, with a mission to improve wellbeing, confidence, and water safety through education, training, and shared experiences.

“We welcome swimmers aged 18 to 78, many of whom are in their silver years and live with underlying health conditions or limited mobility,” said Linzi Betts, who leads the CIC, in her nomination. “Our members often take part in remote coastal swims where mobile coverage is poor and the nearest ambulance support can take over an hour to arrive. The challenges of winter swimming and the distances involved make mobile, community-based equipment like this an urgent need. Having immediate access to this equipment could make all the difference in a cardiac emergency. It will give our volunteers, swimmers, and the wider coastal community greater reassurance.”

The portable device will be available during the group’s structured coaching sessions, outreach activities, and open water excursions, and will also be shared with the local resilience team to maximise its impact across the wider community.

Dave Candler, CEO of STA, said: “Coldingham Brave Bayers epitomises the spirit of grassroots community organisations we want to support through this campaign. Their work in promoting safe and inclusive open water swimming has been remarkable, and we’re proud to help them further safeguard lives with the donation of this defibrillator.”

On receiving the news about the donation this week, Coldingham Brave Bayers CIC said: “Thank you so much for selecting Coldingham Brave Bayers as a recipient of your Community Heart STArters defibrillator. We’re absolutely delighted and deeply grateful for your support. Your words about our work promoting safe and inclusive wild swimming along Coldingham Bay and the Berwickshire coast truly mean a lot to us. It’s heartening to know that our efforts resonate with your mission to enhance water safety and support community wellbeing.”

All defibrillators donated through the Community Heart STArters campaign are registered on The Circuit, the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator network. This ensures emergency services can direct 999 callers to the nearest available device when every second counts.

The Community Heart STArters campaign will continue throughout 2025, with STA providing defibrillators to grassroots, charitable, and community organisations across the UK – uniting communities and saving lives.

To learn more about STA’s Community Heart STArters campaign and how to apply, please go to www.sta.co.uk/community-heart-STArters