Following extensive enquiries, the original device was not recovered, but that was when the Warwickshire Freemasons Charity and Mike Smith Training Ltd stepped in to help. 

The organisation donated a new defibrillator which has now been installed at Fargo Village, ensuring people near the creative quarter continue to have access to this critical equipment.

Coventry BID has been operating in the city centre for 20 years and was voted in by levy paying businesses, with safety in the city centre a key priority, including being one of the lead partners in Coventry achieving Purple Flag status last month.

The BID has now fitted tracking technology to all publicly accessible defibrillators within its network, allowing 24/7 location monitoring and helping to safeguard the vital equipment.

There are currently six defibrillators and two bleed control cabinets deployed by Coventry BID in the city centre which are available for public use.

Andy Staker, of Warwickshire Freemason, said: “Warwickshire Freemasons Charity were delighted to be able to donate a new defibrillator. 

“The donation was in conjunction with Mike Smith of Training Limited, who was able to source the replacement overnight as the existing one had gone missing. 

“These are a vital pieces of equipment when anyone has a heart attack and it is great that the BID is able to place these units in strategic locations in Coventry City Centre.”

Joanne Glover, Chief Executive of Coventry BID, said: “Ensuring that publicly accessible defibrillators are available across Coventry is vital. Every second counts in emergencies and having this piece of equipment on hand can save lives.

“We are incredibly grateful to Warwickshire Freemasons for their generous donation, their support demonstrated a real commitment to the safety and wellbeing of our city centre community.

“As a result of the original defibrillator going missing, we have introduced new tracking mechanisms to ensure this doesn’t happen again.”