Organisations across England are being invited to bid for a share of £1 million of government funding to buy defibrillators for community spaces like town halls, local parks or post offices.

The Department of Health and Social Care is inviting interested organisations to register expressions of interest for its £1 million Community Automated External Defibrillators Fund, aimed at increasing the number of AEDs in public places where they are most needed.

An estimated 1,000 new defibrillators are to be provided by the fund, with the potential for this to double as successful applicants will be asked to match the funding they receive partially or fully.

As part of the grant award, applicants will be asked to demonstrate that defibrillators will be placed in areas where they are most needed, such as places with high footfall, vulnerable people, rural areas or due to the nature of activity at the site.

Examples could include town halls, community centres, local shops, post offices and local parks, to ensure that defibrillators are evenly spread throughout communities and easily accessible if someone is experiencing an unexpected cardiac arrest.

Cllr James Jamieson, Chairman of the Local Government Association said: "Councils are working hard to install new defibrillators where they are needed the most, such as in parks and community spaces as well providing funding for local organisations to do the same.

"This new funding will help to support this vital effort, helping to potentially save the lives of thousands of people across the country."

The department will invest the funding through an independent partner, drawn from the government’s Crown Commercial Service list of approved suppliers, to manage grant applications from bidding organisations.

To accelerate the administration of the grant in advance of the partner being chosen, prospective organisations who wish to obtain funding for a defibrillator are now invited to register an expression of interest with the Department of Health and Social Care.

Organisations who submit an expression of interest will be notified once grant applications open to the Department of Health and Social Care’s £1 million Community AED Fund.