Here at defibshop, we admire people who are brave and ambitious enough to take it upon themselves to fundraise for a certain cause. Whether that cause is to provide first aid training, to help raise awareness on statistics or to equip communities with a life-saving defibrillator, the efforts made to creating more heart safe environments can make a life-saving difference.

One particular fundraiser who caught the eye of defibshop was Jill Clough, and we thought it should be brought to your attention just how amazing this ‘Fire Cracker’ really is.

About Jill

Jill Clough has strong connections to both the Milnsbridge and Longwood areas in Huddersfield. One thing that caught Jill’s attention was the lack of defibrillators in the Longwood area and the single device located in Milnsbridge, thanks to the Colne Valley Lions. However, with this lack of defibrillators in both areas, Jill decided it was time to act.

Jill suffered a bad fall five years ago which left her with a severely restricted use of her right hand and side which resulted in her unable to take up employed work. Following this, Jill has taken the opportunity to dedicate her time to fundraising and various voluntary work positions.

Jill leads a team of volunteers who organise various events at Milnsbridge Village Hall. The team have raised money for a number of charities, including Kirkwood Hospice and Help for Heroes from events including children’s activities and craft sessions.

More recently, Jill completed a firewalk at the ‘Some Like it Hot’ charity event which helped to raise thousands of pounds towards four defibrillators for Colne Valley. She dedicated this firewalk to her late father-in-law whose funeral was being held on the same day in Vancouver, Canada.

Christmas 2016 saw Jill helping to arrange and prepare 60 turkey dinners for elderly and vulnerable people who would otherwise be alone on Christmas Day. A kind donation of a brand new eight-ringed cooker from Wakefield Appliances made this kind act possible for Jill and her team, helping to make a memorable Christmas for all.

Jill’s Goals

Looking to the future, Jill is now planning on completing the Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge in the summer and is recruiting a support team to assist her.

With a goal to fundraise for a total of 10 defibrillators, Jill has a wide range of plans in the pipeline including Paralympic swimming training to help her achieve this.

defibshop’s Involvement

In December 2016, we were approached by Ketchum PR and Simon Mitchell and were made aware of Jill and just how much she had achieved so far. Inspired by Jill and her story, we decided we wanted to get involved and help and so donated the first defibrillator to her cause to help kick-start her mission. Members of the defibshop team Lindsay Atherton and Emma Lloyd travelled to Huddersfield to surprise Jill with the defibrillator. Reflecting on Jill’s achievements so far, Lindsay commented on defibshop’s involvement with the cause:

“It’s so fantastic what she’s doing and we’re more than thrilled to be a part of it! Jill has a huge goal and a huge heart and all of defibshop are so inspired by what she’s doing.”

Following this, Ketchum PR and Simon Mitchell will be buying an additional two defibrillators and cabinets, in order to keep their new life-saving devices safe.

The whole team at defibshop have been truly inspired by Jill and her work and hope that our readers are just as inspired as we are.

We can’t wait to see where Jill’s journey takes her next, so be sure to stay tuned for next time as we continue to follow Jill’s journey and missions to help create safer environments within her community.

To follow Jill on her journey, to get involved or donate, visit her Facebook page to see how you can help her achieve a raised awareness and heart safe community