A DEFIBRILLATOR has been installed in Llandogo by Trellech United Community Council. The piece of medical kit was purchased by Monmouthshire County Council and is aimed at counteracting slow ambulance response times in rural villages. Catbrook will also be receiving a defibrillator in the coming weeks. After hearing what residents in the area wanted to change about their villages in the recent 'Community-Led Plan', Trellech Community Council took the advice of locals and swiftly applied to Monmouthshire County Council's Central Area Committee for a £2,500 grant for the defibrillators. A dozen village residents have been informally trained to use the machines, which deliver an electric shock that can save the life of someone who has suffered from a heart attack. Bob Dagger, chairman of Trellech United, said that the defibrillator would have a great impact on the village: "The equipment can be accessed in three ways; by someone who knows the code, through staff in the shop, or you can ring 999 as both Gloucester and the Welsh emergency services can provide the code." Llandogo's Community-Led Plan has been in the making for the past 12 months, with the aim of shaping the next ten years of life and development in the village. The process was spearheaded by a special steering group of local volunteers, with help and advice from adventa, which works to deliver Monmouthshire's Rural Development Plan. The Steering Group canvassed local people's views, concerns and priorities by hosting drop-in community consultations and distributing a community questionnaire. Feedback had been used to develop the plan which was presented at a recent meeting of Trellech United Community Council, and was adopted unanimously by all councillors present. Adventa are supporting eight similar initiatives in villages and communities throughout the county, as part of an objective to help rural communities realise their full potential. For more information about the community consultations or to find out more about developing a Community Led Plan for your own village, contact Shirley Hughes on 01633 748311 or 07793 259016. Alternatively, you can email shirley @adventa.org.uk