It is our aim to encourage every house-hold in Ipswich to purchase a Data Link bottle, ensuring that every member of the family whether young or elderly has data inside the pot, illness and accidents have no age limit. It is important however that when inserts are placed in the bottle, they should be accompanied by an up to date passport photograph, so the emergency services know which member of the family they are trying to treat. It was agreed that if the project was going to be successful we needed to find a distinct container that could not be mistaken.

A bespoke container was purchased and over 50,000 of them have now been distributed throughout Suffolk and the UK

Data Link became a community project with bottles being assembled and packed by the “Kids Who Care Group” from Needham Market during their school holidays in preparation for the Ipswich Launch at Tower Ramparts Shopping Centre, Ipswich, in September 2002. In return we donated a sum to their club to enable them to develop. Inmates from Hollesley Bay helped prepare the bottles for a launch in Felixstowe

It is hoped that circulation of the units within the community, to the points of most need, will be assisted by such as GP Surgeries, Pharmacists, Dental Surgeries, Police Stations, Health Visitors, WRVS 'Meals on Wheels', clinics, Community Nurses, Help The Aged and Age Concern.

Data Link bottles can be purchased for a donation of 35p in Ipswich from branches of the Ipswich Building Society, Britannia Building Society, Heath Road Post Office, amongst others. Why not get your Neighbourhood Watch to purchase bottles for the scheme making sure that all your neighbours have peace of mind knowing that should the emergency services need to be called, and they are unable to speak or are unconscious Data Link will be available to supply life saving information.

Any donations collected go directly to purchasing more stock. This ensures continuity of supply, dispensing with the need to go back to sponsors, to whom we are extremely grateful, which enabled us to start up the scheme.

For more information, contact Julie Dennis 01473 613994