KW Bell Group partners with the Sam Polledri Foundation to bring a life-saving defibrillator to the Forest of Dean
K W Bell Group is proud to support the vital work of the Sam Polledri Foundation by funding a public-access defibrillator for the Forest of Dean.
From today, we’re inviting local sports clubs and community organisations across the area to apply to host the device - helping us place it where it can have the greatest potential to save a life.
Why defibrillators matter
Every year, thousands of people in the UK experience a cardiac arrest outside of a hospital setting. When a heart stops, every minute without treatment significantly reduces the chances of survival. CPR alone can help, but a defibrillator, used quickly, alongside CPR, gives someone their best possible chance of survival. Yet public access defibrillators remain far from universal, particularly in smaller, rural communities like those across the Forest of Dean, where the nearest device may be several miles away.
That's the gap this project is designed to close: putting a defibrillator somewhere it can genuinely be reached in the critical first few minutes after a cardiac arrest.
The Sam Polledri Foundation
The Foundation was set up by the family of Samuel Polledri, who died suddenly from a cardiac arrest in Bristol in February 2022, at just 24 years old. In the years since, Sam's family has channelled their grief into action, working through Great Western Air Ambulance Charity to fund and install public access defibrillators in communities across Bristol and the surrounding region — with the aim of giving others the chance that wasn't available to Sam, who collapsed in a location with no public defibrillator nearby.
The Foundation has now supported the installation of dozens of devices, each one carrying Sam's name and image as a lasting tribute and continues to fundraise year-round, including through an annual charity ball, to keep expanding that number.
Why KW Bell Group is getting involved
KW Bell Group has deep roots in the Forest of Dean, and one connection made this partnership feel personal: our long-standing support of Cinderford RFC, where Sam's brother Jake is a player coach. Seeing first-hand the strength of that club and its community and knowing how close to home Sam's story is for people within it, made this an easy decision for us.
As a family-run business, community is at the heart of what we do, and few things matter more to a community than making sure help is close at hand when it's needed most.
How to apply
We're now inviting sports clubs, community groups, and other local organisations across the Forest of Dean to apply to host the defibrillator. We're looking for locations that are accessible to the wider public, not just members, and that see regular footfall throughout the week.
If your organisation would like to be considered, please fill out the application form below to register your interest.
Together with the Sam Polledri Foundation, we hope this defibrillator will do exactly what all 80-plus before it have done: give someone, somewhere, the chance that Sam didn't have.
To apply for a Defibrillator in your community, fill out the information below
*If successful you agree to:
Register the defibrillator
Maintain it
Make it publicly accessible where possible
Attend CPR training