The Big Yellow Construction Company Ltd

Communities can play a big part in creating a nation of life savers. Having a defibrillator in our
community means that more people will have the tools to assist when someone has a cardiac
arrest. In the early stages of constructing the new Big Yellow Bracknell store we identified the
need for a defibrillator in the local area. Installing one is a great example of how small
additions to our projects can play a very important part in saving more lives.

The Challenge

Less than 1 in 10 people in the UK survive an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. This has been
partly attributed to two factors that communities can change:
• there aren’t enough people prepared to perform CPR when someone has a cardiac
arrest
• there aren’t enough defibrillators.
Making this installation is especially vital as 90% of fatal heart attacks could be prevented
with swift action using this equipment.

What we have done
The Big Yellow Construction Company Ltd has become affiliated to the Henry Angell James
Memorial Trust www.hajmt.co.uk, which was set up by Henry’s wife, Sally, following his
sudden death from a heart attack at the age of 53. The charity’s aim is to put as many
automated external defibrillators units (AEDs) into local communities as they can.
To raise the money for this venture we offered parking facilities during construction at a fee
to a development team (Fit Out UK), on the proviso all fees would be donated to the Trust to
help purchase and install this life saving equipment.

The outcome
Our first AED unit was installed outside our new Big Yellow store in Bracknell which was
opened in September 2020. The unit will be registered on ‘The Circuit’ website
www.thecircuit.uk . Run by The National Defibrillator Network, this website is connected to
every Ambulance Service in the UK and allows them to direct bystanders to the nearest
defibrillator to help save lives.

Looking ahead, Big Yellow Construction Company Ltd has committed to install an AED unit at
all their new stores.