Cockfield grandfather's touching gesture to 'a friend taken too soon'

A GRANDFATHER who lost a close friend to a heart attack has helped secure the future of a village defibrillator.
Cockfield’s Colin Pottruff donated £80 for new pads for the lifesaving equipment on the Lipscomb Hall after hearing of a campaign to support its maintenance.
The 75-year-old, originally from Hertfordshire, lost his close friend, John Broughton, to a massive heart attack when he was aged just 51.
Mr Pottruff said the outcome could have been very different if there was a defibrillator on hand. 
“Based on that experience of losing a good family friend, my wife and I decided to make the donation,” he added. “He worked for the police force and he was super fit – he managed the local football team and his life was snuffed out just like that. It struck a chord with both of us.”
The father-of-three and grandfather of six moved to Cockfield with his wife in October 2015.  He said the defibrillator campaign offered the “perfect opportunity” to give something to the village.
Mr Pottruff added: “I don’t want people to think I’m chucking my money around but it struck a chord with us and I’ve never had that chance to do something like this.
“Now we’ve got the technology where we can help people and act quickly.
“Like the ambulance man said, you might never use it – but if you do you can make a big difference to someone’s life and their family.”
More than 20 residents and a representative from the North East Ambulance Service turned out to  Cockfield Workingmen’s Club, last Wednesday, in support of the machine.
Villager Lesley Hall has helped co-ordinate the effort with the aim of raising £1,000 to maintain its upkeep.
“I think it’s brilliant Colin has stepped up for the village,” said Ms Hall.
“We had 21 people turn up to the meeting and they have put it out to their friends to make them aware of the defibrillator.
“Now it’s being talked about there are more people wanting to be involved.”
Raffles and a table top sale for the heart-start equipment has boosted the fundraising total beyond three figures.
The village Co-operative store is also organising a cake stall and a village collection is in the pipeline for the summer.
Ten people have booked themselves in for CPR training sessions on the back of last week’s meeting with posters around the village advertising details in shop windows.
If anyone would like to take part in the training, they can leave their name and number with the shop hosting the poster.