Clwyd MS Darren Millar is encouraging community groups, sports clubs, community councils and charities across North Wales to take advantage of two fantastic opportunities to secure free lifesaving defibrillators.
The British Heart Foundation Cymru Community Defibrillator Funding Programme and Calon Hearts’ North Wales Summer Defibrillator Giveaway are both offering organisations the chance to install publicly accessible defibrillators, helping to save lives when every second counts.
Successful applicants to the British Heart Foundation Cymru scheme will receive a fully funded defibrillator and cabinet, with installation costs covered where needed. Replacement pads and batteries will also be provided free of charge for up to 10 years when they expire or are used in an emergency.
Meanwhile, Calon Hearts is giving away five publicly accessible defibrillators to communities across North Wales.
Each successful organisation will also receive free CPR training, ensuring more local people have the confidence and skills to respond if someone suffers a cardiac arrest.
There are around 3,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in Wales every year. Sadly, only around one in 20 people survive.
Every minute without CPR or defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of survival by around 10 per cent.
Encouraging community groups, sports clubs and charities to take advantage of the free defibrillators, Darren said:
“Both these schemes by the British Heart Foundation Cymru and Calon Hearts present a fantastic opportunity for community organisations to make a real difference and potentially save lives.
“A cardiac arrest can happen to anyone, anywhere at any time. Having a publicly accessible defibrillator nearby, alongside people trained in CPR, can dramatically improve someone’s chance of survival before the emergency services arrive.
“I would urge sports clubs, community centres, places of worship , charities, village halls and other local organisaions to look at whether they could benefit from one of these schemes.”
He added:
“I hope as many groups as possible come forward and take advantage of these generous offers. Every additional defibrillator installed in our communities could one day save a life.”
The British Heart Foundation Cymru programme is open to a wide range of organisations, including community groups, sports clubs, social clubs, parish councils, community centres and local social enterprises. This year, communities in Wrexham and Newport are among those being particularly encouraged to apply due to a shortage of publicly accessible 24-hour defibrillators.
Calon Hearts is inviting expressions of interest from community groups, charities, villages and sports clubs across North Wales. Applicants must already have, or be able to provide, a suitable external coded cabinet to ensure the defibrillator is available to the public around the clock.
Groups interested in the British Heart Foundation Cymru programme can find further information and application details on the British Heart Foundation website.
Organisations wishing to apply for the Calon Hearts giveaway should email [email protected] with the subject line "North Wales Summer Defib Giveaway."
