Mission accomplished - Lesley's legacy lives on as walk highlights lifesaving difference of defibrillators
“If Lesley was still here today she would be over the moon that her mission has been achieved”
The partner of Washington woman Lesley Anne Baker, who made it her mission to see a publicly accessible defibrillators installed in every village in the town, has said she “would be over the moon” at seeing her quest accomplished as Lesley’s friends and family get set to celebrate her life and legacy with their annual walk.
This Saturday (June 6) will see around 200 people once again take part in Lesley’s Legacy Walk, stopping at the pubs and places in Washington which now have defibrillators thanks to Lesley.
After being diagnosed with breast cancer, despite her own obvious challenges, selfless Lesley decided to “give something back to her community” and embarked on her quest to see defibrillators accessible to as many Washington residents as possible.
Lesley started a fundraising campaign to raise money for defibrillators as well as contacting businesses at the heart of communities - in many cases pubs - to ask owners to install them on their buildings.
Tragically, Lesley lost her brave battle and passed away on May 5, 2022, with seven defibrillators a the time already successfully installed in the town’s 18 villages.
Last June (2025), inspired by Lesley’s efforts, her friends and family saw her mission completed after the 18th and final defibrillator was installed in Glebe.
For Lesley’s partner Craig Bailey the walk is about celebrating Lesley’s life and highlighting where the lifesaving pieces of equipment are located.
Craig, 42, said: “If Lesley was still here today she would be over the moon that her mission has been achieved and would feel at peace knowing how many people they can help.
“This walk isn’t about raising money, it’s about raising awareness of where these defibrillators are located. On these walks I get to meet a lot of Lesley’s friends who tell me stories about her which I didn’t know. It’s really comforting to know how much she was loved and this is an event I will always attend.”
This year’s walk will start at 10.45am from the Cherry Tree pub in Ayton before taking in stops at the Highwayman in Lambton, Ox and Plough in Oxclose, Blue Bell in Donwell, NE38 Bar in Barmston, Westwood in Columbia, Victoria Inn in Biddick, Keel Boat and River Bar in Fatfield, and Novellos in Harraton.
There will also be a midway stop at the Cross Keys in Washington Village where lunch is being provided by the Forge with the support of the Rotary Club. All the pubs on the walk now have accessible defibrillators located on their outside walls.
The 10 mile circular route will see walkers return to the Cherry Tree for a disco and karaoke to celebrate Lesley’s life.
This year’s walk has been organised by trained nurse, Nev Harris, who knows better than most the life-saving difference a defibrillator can make.
As well as using the equipment in his professional life, Nev has also used defibrillators in the community to save lives, including during the Great North Run and playing a game of walking football.
Nev, 61, said: “Having a defibrillator and people knowing where it’s located is absolutely massive. If someone has suffered a suspected cardiac arrest and you are waiting for an ambulance then it’s vital people know how to do CPR and have access to and be able to use a defibrillator.
“A couple of years ago when I was playing football a player suffered a cardiac arrest. The leisure centre had a defibrillator which I was able to use to bring him back.
“I’m aware of a number of the defibrillators which have been installed having already been used to help people who’ve collapsed.
“Defibrillators can literally can mean the difference between life and death. This is all about raising awareness and there’s always a fantastic atmosphere.”
Whilst the walk is not about raising money, a number of the pubs will have donation buckets to raise funds for the upkeep of the defibrillators, including purchasing replacement pads.
Anyone who would like to take part in the walk should meet at the Cherry Tree from 9.30am.
For every minute that passes following a cardiac arrest without CPR and a defibrillator, a person’s chance of survival drops by 7% to 10%. Applying one within 3 to 5 minutes increases survival rates from roughly 6% to over 70%.