A community café in Weymouth has been gifted a ‘life-saving bit of kit.’

The team at the Veterans Hub on Portland Road, Wyke Regis were left ‘surprised and amazed’ after taxi driver Ricky Cleverley presented them with one of the defibrillators which he had been tirelessly fundraising for.

Mr Cleverley was also behind the fundraising for defibrillators which have been fitted on the wall of the Waterloo pub, the Dolphin Hotel and the Royal Oak on Dorchester Road.

Andy Price, founder and project manager at the Veterans Hub, explained that they had been looking to raise money for a defibrillator at the hub and when Ricky heard about this, he offered them one as he had already raised enough money for ‘three or four to go around Weymouth.’

Mr Price said: “It’s an absolutely amazing, lifesaving bit of kit and we just don’t have enough of them around the town. We hope that we won’t have to use it, but if we do, then it could be what saves a life.

“It’s there for the community and at the hub - we do have a lot of people with various health problems.”

The news of the new piece of equipment came as a shock to the founder who said: “We didn’t ask for this or expect it, it was a surprise. It may not seem like a lot to some people but it’s the difference to being here and not being here.

“We are just massively thankful to Ricky; he has done a sterling job.”

The Veterans Hub, was launched by Mr Price in July 2018 with the aim of helping ex-service people deal with a range of needs, including post-traumatic stress disorder recovery or physical issues.

The hub now includes plenty of facilities including the second-hand shop, an office, physiotherapy room, new disabled-friendly wash facilities and toilet, an indoor and outdoor seating area, a coffee shop, allotments, a gym, and a venue to the rear of the hub solely for PTSD recovery through working with assistant dogs.