Life-saving defibrillator in Huntingdon Indoor Bowls Club

Huntingdon Indoor Bowls Club to give cardiac arrest victims fighting chance of survival.

Huntingdon Indoor Bowls Club has teamed up with the British Heart Foundation to become a community of lifesavers after it has been fitted with a public access defibrillator (PAD). In addition to the defibrillator the club has been awarded a CPR training kit by the British Heart Foundation, which the club will use to implement a training program following their successful application for a Nation of Lifesavers Community Package from the charity.

The Community Package contains the innovative kit, which includes everything needed to learn CPR in half an hour. Huntingdon Bowls Club plan to run training sessions for all the local clubs in the community and for any other local organisations meaning everyone can become potential lifesavers.

The defibrillator is a portable device that can be used by a member of the public to help restart the heart when someone has a cardiac arrest. For every minute that passes without defibrillation and CPR, chances of survival decrease by around ten per cent. So it’s really important the people of Huntingdon know both of these vital steps to help someone in an emergency.

Over 30,000 cardiac arrests happen out of hospital in the UK every year but currently less than one in ten survive. The BHF want to create a Nation of Lifesavers in a bid to boost these shocking survival rates. The charity is campaigning for defibrillators to be made more accessible and recognisable to the public and want all young people to be taught CPR and PAD awareness at school. Since launching the campaign in 2014, at least 350,000 people have joined the Nation of Lifesavers by learning life saving CPR.

Tom Ormiston, Chairman of the Club said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this lifesaving package. The defibrillator will be placed in our foyer meaning that local people have the best chance of survival should they suffer a cardiac arrest. We’re keen to get as many people as possible trained in CPR too.”

Judy O’Sullivan, Assistant Programme Director at the BHF, said: “More than 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital every year but less than one in ten survive. More people could be saved if more defibrillators were available in public places and if more people felt confident using them and performing CPR. We are delighted that Huntingdon Indoor Bowls Club have joined the BHF’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign - by making another defibrillator available in a club and teaching CPR locally. It could really be the difference between life and death.”

To date the BHF have helped place over 13,000 life-saving defibrillators in communities around the UK. The BHF asks for a contribution of £400 towards each defibrillator as part of the Community Package. To find out more about defibrillators and how to place one in your organisation or community visit www.bhf.org.uk

For further information please contact the Secretary Huntingdon Indoor Bowls club on 01480 457433 or email huntingdonbowlsclub@btconnect.com.

For more information on how you can help BHF create a Nation of Lifesavers visit https://www.bhf.org.uk/heart-health/nation-of-lifesavers/join-the-nation-of-lifesavers