The Times & Star Heart Start campaign has installed its first life-saving machine.

A public-access defibrillator is now in place outside Ewanrigg Community Centre in Maryport.

It is available for use in an emergency and can be accessed using a code from the ambulance service.

The machine, which can be used by anyone, can give life-saving electric shocks if a casualty suffers a cardiac arrest.

It cannot be used to give an electric shock where one is not needed.

The defibrillator was supplied free of charge by North West Ambulance Service, which has pledged 10 machines to the campaign.

People in Maryport rallied round to raise £900 to buy a secure cabinet to house the machine.

M&S Stores and Maryport Car Centre, both owned by Ellenborough couple Syd and Mary Wood, donated £250 each to the cause.

Wise Contracting Group gave £50 and there were other anonymous donations.

A Netherton family donated £100 in memory of a relative who they said suffered heart problems and might have benefited from a defibrillator in the community.

A fun day and raffle raised £171 and an egg dump raised £64.

The fund-raising was co-ordinated by Ewanrigg Local Trust after administrator Ann Bicknell came up with the idea of joining the campaign following a first aid course.

She said: "I feel overwhelmed that it's not in place. It's fantastic that we have managed to do it.

"The fact that the ambulance service donated the defibrillator made it for us because we only needed to raise the £900.

"We had a lot of generosity from companies donating money and raffle prizes and from the community."

Ewanrigg and Netherton Tenants' and Residents' Association helped with the fund-raising.

Bill Barnes, Entra chairman, said: "It's great that the community has got involved in this. We had no trouble at all raising the funds.

"It's nice to have it in place. If the need arises it could do a lot of good."

Rotary is working with the Times & Star on the campaign.

Kevin Walsh, former district governor, said: "We're really pleased to see the first defibrillator of the campaign in place. It's a welcome addition to the wider project we are putting in place throughout Cumbria.

"We are looking forward to carrying on and helping to build on the life-saving equipment in the area."

John Shanks, Maryport Rotary Club president, added: "We are pleased to be involved and hopefully we'll get some more in the town."

Lauren Watson, chain of survival co-ordinator for the ambulance service, will organise training to help give people in Ewanrigg confidence to use the defibrillator if needed.

She said: "It's brilliant for the community. NWAS is pleased to support this initiative. We know we can now have a defibrillator in the community quicker than an ambulance can get there."

The ambulance service will retain ownership of and responsibility for the defibrillator, reducing the ongoing responsibility of the host for maintenance.

This is the first of 15 defibrillators the Times & Star Heart Start campaign is seeking to have installed across the area.

More host sites are needed.

Anyone in the community can contribute towards the fund-raising for any given site, or the overall campaign, by making a donation or holding a fund-raising event.

For more information, call Sarah Moore on 01900 607631 or email sarah.moore@cnmedia.co.uk

Please  click here to view the campaign's progress on our map.