The 87-year-old wants to leave a legacy in Llandaff that she will get to see in her lifetime
A PENSIONER, dubbed Llandaff’s “heart hero”, has donated the £1,445 cost for a public access defibrillator to be placed in Llandaff.
Jacqueline Wynde, 87, told The Cardiffian that she is coming towards the end of her life and wants to make a difference to the community that she will be able to see before she passes.
The Calon Hearts defibrillator has been installed outside The Maltsters Arms Hotel on Cardiff Road, in the heart of Llandaff.
“I found out about Calon Hearts when I went along to one of their coffee mornings at Wesley Methodist Church in Canton,” Ms Wynde told The Cardiffian.
“I heard about the lives that have been saved by the defibrillator on the church wall, and I thought that Calon Hearts would be the most beneficial charity to donate to because it’s local and the local community mean a lot to me.”
Ms Wynde has lived near Llandaff for 17 years, but has known the area and had ties to it her whole life.
“I’ve been considering making a donation locally for a while and I’d like to get it all sorted before it’s too late,” she added.
After a phone call to Sharon Owens from Calon Hearts, Ms Wynde visited their office in Llandaff to get the ball rolling on the donation.
“Jacqueline really moved me,” said Ms Owens.
“She isn’t ill in any way but I think when you get to a certain age you do start to think about these things and the positive legacy you can leave.”
The Maltsters Arms was already fundraising for a defibrillator, after the one outside the Black Lion pub across the road was damaged by water in the 2021 lockdown.
Ms Wynde’s donation, which covered the cost of the defibrillator, was welcome news for Greg Townsend, The Maltsters’ manager.
“We’re really excited about the donation and the positive impact this will have on the community,” said Mr Townsend.
“Marstons have recently taken over our pub from Brains and I think Brains were very good at supporting the local community when they were in charge. So now Marstons really want to get stuck in too,” he added.
The defibrillator was installed on February 8, 2023 by Calon Hearts and Ms Wynde.
The pub is also planning a fundraising event with Calon Hearts in March.
Calon Heart Screening and Defibrillators, originally called Welsh Hearts, is based in Llandaff and aims to increase the number of lifesaving defibrillators and heart screenings in Cardiff. The charity also provides CPR and defibrillator training to make members of the public more confident at using them.
Heart issues are a major cause of death in Wales and worldwide, with an average of 790 people dying each month in Wales from a heart disease, according to the British Heart Foundation.
February is heart awareness month, and Ms Wynde hopes her donation can help to save the lives of Llandaff residents and visitors.
“We both drove past The Maltsters Arms on our way home this evening,” said Ms Wynde’s niece, Katherine Davies.
“It is wonderful to see the yellow box which ultimately may save someone’s life.”
