Hopes that village phone box can be given new lease of life

Residents in Oakley Green have raised £2,000 to renovate an old BT phone box and turn it into a house for a defibrillator.

The phone box, which sits in Oakley Green Road near the now-closed Ye Olde Red Lion pub, has been in a steady state of disrepair for some time.

Under BT’s scheme, Bray Parish Council was able to purchase the phone box for £1.

The idea came after another phone box in the area was removed before residents had a chance to preserve it.

“People were upset because it was a little bit of history and there aren’t many of them left,” said Barbara Frame of Oakley Green, Fifield and District Community Association (OGAFCA).

“Now the pub’s gone and the post office is gone, it’s the only thing left that still makes this a village.

“When a speaker from Community Heartbeat Trust suggested we put a defibrillator in there, we thought, eureka, we have found a way to save the phone box,” said said.

“We have had some nasty accidents along this road, so having a defibrillator nearby is not a bad idea.”

A successful raffle over Christmas brought in £700 to go alongside other donations. OGAFCA hopes this is enough to finally hire someone to renovate the box.

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