Has your school got a defibrillator?

By Sarah Oliver
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Last night I had the pleasure of attending the UK Heart Safe Awards in Manchester. I met some lovely people and even got to present an award. I felt so honoured to be invited, I love being the patron of the Hand on Heart charity which is saving lives by placing defibrillators in schools and community buildings, training adults how to use a defibrillator and teaching children how to perform basic life support.

 

If your school doesn’t have a defibrillator please, please, please get in touch with Hand on Heart. Do it today.  It’s really easy, just send an email to enquiries@handonheart.org and they can help get a defibrillator in your school. Don’t wait until you need one or it could be too late.

EVERY school should have a defibrillator and Hand on Heart are on a mission to make every school in the UK heart safe. If someone has a cardiac arrest, a defibrillator can increase survival rates by 74%. If you’re a parent, ask your child’s school if they have a defibrillator and if they don’t encourage them to get in touch with Hand on Heart. My oldest daughter’s nursery has one and I’m so pleased that it’s there, it’s keeping my daughter and her friends safe.

Inspirational performers

A wonderful choir from Park Road Primary School in Sale performed last night and they were incredible. After their performance Christine from Hand on Heart revealed why they were there. They had been the last school in the Trafford borough to be given a free defibrillator by Hand on Heart. They were so touched that they decided to fundraise so that another school could receive a free defibrillator. The school who received the defibrillator decided to do the same so their generosity has created a ripple effect. How amazing is that! You can hear them one song here >

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It was so moving

The UK Heart Safe award winners had all helped make a difference and saved countless lives. One woman had saved her mum’s life when she had a cardiac arrest at work, another man had saved the life of a man at the gym he worked at, because they had a defibrillator there, ready to use. Companies won awards for helping to fund defibrillators and one man had managed to fundraise enough money to fund 92 defibrillators. He really has made a huge difference and it all started when he learnt that a man had died in his local Morrisons store and there hadn’t been a defibrillator within 10 miles. He fundraised for one defibrillator, then two and the rest is history.

It was an incredible night and I really hope you can help make the UK heart safe. Hand on Heart are currently trying to get funding from the Aviva Community Fund for four defibrillators. Please vote for us by clicking here >

Much love,

Sarah

xxx

PS this pic is of me and Louise, who I had the pleasure of sitting next to last night. She is a Hand on Heart volunteer and a real life saver. Hand on Heart installed a defibrillator at her workplace and the very next day she used it to save a man’s life. She hadn’t received training on how to use it, but she’s proof that you don’t need training to use a defib, as it talks to you and tells you exactly what to do.

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