NORTH West charity group Hand on Heart has decided to take a local approach to saving lives by launching a project to provide defibrillators and CPR lessons in every secondary school in Warrington.
The project is supported by Warrington Wolves RL team and has a number of high profile ambassadors including Chris Riley of Warrington Wolves, Lancashire cricketer Gary Keedy, John Duffy of Leigh Centurions and Matty Smith of Salford City Reds. The charity hopes that these public figures will help to encourage similar projects in their respective area.
The campaign is linked with Children’s Heart Week, which aims to raise awareness of congenital heart problems in children, which can cause sudden cardiac arrest. Around 270 children die at school each year after suffering a sudden cardiac arrest but the charity is working hard to tackle this statistic.
Chairman David Howarth said: “If a jumbo jet crashed every year carrying 270 people there would be a serious investigation but nobody is doing anything about it and we are the only charity in the UK doing this.
“I don’t want to be sat here in six months having not achieved this and then a child dies in Warrington because we have not done anything about it.”
The Hand on Heart charity is also organising a fundraising golf day at Prestwich Golf Club. The event takes place on July 2, where teams of four can participate for £200 a team.
A defibrillator package from Hand on Heart includes a Philips Heartstart HS1 defibrillator, CPR training for staff and Basic Life Support lessons for pupils. Although the current rate of survival for a sudden cardiac arrest is only 6 per cent, immediate CPR and use of a defibrillator can increase this chance to 74 per cent.
To support the Hand on Heart campaign in Warrington text HAND66 £3 to 70070 (charge will be added to your phone bill).
To participate in the Prestwich Golf Tournament, visit www.handonheart.org
NORTH West charity group Hand on Heart has decided to take a local
approach to saving lives by launching a project to provide
defibrillators and CPR lessons in every secondary school in Warrington.
A local approach to saving lives
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Gary Skentelbery
Experienced journalist for more than 40 years. Managing Director of magazine publishing group with three in-house titles and on-line daily newspaper for Warrington. Experienced writer, photographer, PR consultant and media expert having written for local, regional and national newspapers. Specialties: PR, media, social networking, photographer, networking, advertising, sales, media crisis management. Chair of Warrington Healthwatch Director Warrington Chamber of Commerce Patron Tim Parry Johnathan Ball Foundation for Peace. Trustee Warrington Disability Partnership. Former Chairman of Warrington Town FC.
