Helping Save Lives – One Iconic Red Phone Box at a Time

At Indestructible Paint, we’ve always believed in the power of coatings to protect and preserve — but rarely has that purpose felt quite as meaningful as it does with our involvement in the British Coatings Federation’s (BCF) defibrillator phone box scheme.

In partnership with BT and the Community HeartBeat Trust, this nationwide initiative is transforming unused rural phone boxes into life-saving defibrillator stations — and we’re incredibly proud to be part of it.

We’re donating our coatings to help restore these iconic red kiosks, supporting local communities as they give new life and vital purpose to a familiar piece of British heritage. Each phone box is carefully refurbished with a fresh coat of traditional red paint — undercoat and topcoat — ensuring it stands out as a beacon of help in emergencies. The paint system we and fellow BCF members provide is given free of charge to every community that installs a defibrillator in their kiosk.

This scheme began in 2012, with the first adopted red phone box to receive its defibrillator — a life-saving device that can be accessed quickly in the crucial minutes following a cardiac arrest. In fact, every minute counts, and having a defibrillator nearby can mean the difference between life and death.

The Community HeartBeat Trust, who helped spearhead the project, is working to create a national network of 2,500 defibrillators in rural communities across the UK. Inside each kiosk, a defibrillator is housed in a secure, accessible cabinet. When someone dials 999, they’re given the code to access the equipment and step-by-step instructions to deliver potentially life-saving treatment.

Pictured you can see, the recently restored phone box for Friends of All Saints Church Leamington Hastings in aid of the “BT Adopt a Kiosk” scheme.

As part of this collective effort, the British Coatings Federation, BT, and nearly two dozen BCF member companies (including us) have come together to make a tangible difference. BT continues to maintain the electricity supply to ensure the defibrillators are available 24/7.

At Indestructible Paint, we are honoured to be a part of such a powerful initiative and are proud to contribute to this life-saving work.

If your local Parish Council is interested in getting involved, BT’s Adopt a Kiosk scheme is a great place to start.

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