Community members in a rural village near Abergavenny are campaigning for funds to install a defibrillator inside a phone box they bought for the measly sum of £1.

Paul Webb lovingly restored the bright red post box at the end of Bryn y Gwenin out of his own pocket after learning that BT was due to remove it from the community, with a group of neighbours assembled to make good use of the historic facility.

The phone box bears the crown of King George VI, Queen Elizabeth II’s father, meaning the phone box dates back to well before the Second World War. There are even reports that the phone box was used a land marker by air raid wardens during the war, with the phone itself being a critical resource to send information to rural communities at the time.

The group said it was vital to restore the phone box not only due to its significance in this tightly knit community, but to provide a vital facility for visitors to the area.

“The area where we live is very popular with walkers and sightseers,” Paul said.

“We’ve got the Walnut Tree restaurant and lots of other attractions in this area that don’t have defibrillators, and seeing as we now own this phone box we have decided to use it for this purpose.”

“The nearest one available to the public is over six miles away, so our intention has always been for this to be a venue for a defibrillator, but we also want this to be useful for the walkers on the Skirrid and visitors to the nearby restaurant and cafe.”

The village sits near the foot of the mountain and is opposite the car park where visitors decamp before climbing the easternmost mountain of the Three Peaks.

As far the nearest available defibrillators currently go, the village sits in the middle of a large gap between Lanes Garages, on Old Ross Road, and Maindiff Court Hospital, which is where the nearest two defibrillators are currently kept.

That’s just roughly two miles away in each direction, which may not seem like a huge distance in relative terms but when lives hang in the balance it is time at the heart of a rural tourist hotspot that could be saved with a defibrillator nearby.

It was after involvement from their MP that the group managed to save the post box, and now that they own it they’re determined to make sure their ownership benefits everyone. However, the cost of the defibrillator will not be small and they’re now on a fundraising mission to secure £1,000 for the purchase of one.

The aim for them is to get the defibrillator installed as soon as possible, with enquiries welcome via email to [email protected], or interested parties can phone 07794 763578.

Donations are also being welcomed via bank transfer to Llandewi Skirrid Village Hall, with the details available to anyone who wishes to make a contribution.

The account number is 33589168 and the sort code is 30-80-83.