Two Lancs football clubs join fight for more live-saving defibrillators

Morecambe FC's Mazuma Mobile Stadium
-Credit:Richard Sellers/PA Wire


Two Football League clubs from Lancashire have applied for funded defibrillators to help save lives.

Blackburn Rovers FC and Morecambe FC have teamed up with Sky Bet and the British Heart Foundation (BHF) to tackle defibrillator inequality in communities across the UK. They are also calling on other local community groups to apply ahead of the application closing date on February 28.

The BHF's longstanding Community Defibrillator Fund is designed to address the stark inequality in access to defibrillators in the UK. Research from the BHF that revealed Morecambe and Wensley Fold - just two miles from Rovers' Ewood Park stadium - are two of the priority areas where more community defibrillators are urgently needed.

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Data shows people living in Wensley Fold are on average 420m away from their nearest public access defibrillator compared to the national recommendation of 200m. This would roughly equate to a five-minute retrieval time. In Morecambe the average distance is 818m, meaning a roughly 10-minute retrieval time.

Rovers' chief executive officer, Steve Waggott, and Morecambe's general manager, Rob Smith, said: “We’re delighted to be supporting Sky Bet and the BHF to engage the local community on this vital issue. We’re committed to leveraging our reach and existing relationships in the local community to get the word out and encourage local organisations, community groups and sports teams to apply for a free life-saving defibrillator.”

Blackburn Rovers are backing the initiative
Blackburn Rovers are backing the initiative -Credit:The FA via Getty Images

There are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests in the UK every year, but fewer than 1 in 10 people survive.

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Quick CPR and early access to a defibrillator is therefore vital to give someone the best chance of survival. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10 per cent.

Campaign ambassador Tom Lockyer, a cardiac arrest survivor who captains Luton Town, said: “I’m living proof that quick CPR and defibrillation is vital – without it I simply wouldn’t be here today.

“Right now, the postcode a person lives in may have an important impact on their or a loved one’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest. That’s why I’m passionate about supporting Sky Bet and the BHF in their mission to level up defibrillator inequality and ensure communities across the UK have equal access to these lifesaving devices.

“I’d urge anyone who is part of a community group or organisation in Morecambe but also across Lancashire to head to the BHF website and apply for a defibrillator – it could make all the difference in giving a member of your community a better chance at surviving a cardiac arrest.”

A defibrillator works by giving a potentially life-saving shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

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Sam Kennard, community defibrillator programme manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The BHF and Sky Bet believe everyone should have access to an emergency-ready defibrillator, no matter where they live. But there are currently stark inequalities in access to defibrillators in communities across the UK.

“Anyone can use a defibrillator, there is no training required. Once accessed the device will give clear instructions on how to use it and only deliver a shock if needed. If safe and possible always dial 999, the call handler will also talk you through every step of the process while further help is on the way.”

To apply for a funded community defibrillator packages, visit the BHF website.

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