A decommissioned phone box on Roa Island is set to become a lifesaving facility thanks to a recent donation from an accountancy firm.

The phone box, located on Piel Street, will house a defibrillator, donated by JF Hornby & Co.

The equipment was recently handed over, with plans now underway for its installation, subject to official adoption of the phone box by Barrow Town Council.

Paula Boyd from JF Hornby & Co met with councillor Paul Griffiths to hand over the defibrillator and its casing.

Ms Boyd said: "We want every community on the Furness peninsula to have access to a defibrillator, which is why we launched our Have a Heart campaign.

"Roa Island has permanent residents and also attracts thousands of visitors over the course of a year as it is the pick-up point for the popular Piel Island ferry.

"Of course, we hope this defibrillator is never needed, but its presence in a central location on Roa Island means it is accessible 24/7 should the worst happen.

"It was wonderful to meet Paul; his desire to support and serve the local community was very clear, and I’m confident he will now ensure the defibrillator is fitted and operational as soon as possible."

JF Hornby & Co’s Have a Heart campaign was launched on Valentine’s Day this year, pledging £5,000 to provide four defibrillators to communities most in need.

In response to a high volume of requests, managing director Paul Hornby doubled the campaign's pledge to £10,000, allowing eight of these lifesaving devices to be purchased.

The funding is being provided by The Hornby Foundation, the company’s charitable arm, which is buying the equipment from the British Heart Foundation.

Councillor Griffiths said: "Having discussed with BT, I am pleased to confirm that Barrow Town Council will adopt the phone box at Roa Island, and once BT has removed the phone, this will become home to this valuable piece of life-saving equipment.

"I hope it is never needed, but if a medical incident should occur, this potentially will make the difference between life and death until the emergency services arrive.

"I would like to thank JF Hornby & Co Accountants for the extremely kind donation of a defibrillator; this is a fantastic example of a local company going above and beyond to support the community."

This is the second defibrillator handed over by the accountancy team, with the first going to Ford Park in Ulverston.

Mr Hornby said: "Our mission is to make life-saving equipment accessible to as many communities as possible across the area we serve as a business.

"We are still looking for requests and suggestions, so please get in touch if you think we can help your town, village or community."

Email jfh@jfhornby.com if you would like to nominate an area.