A campaign to help save lives by providing vital community defibrillators has been handed a boost.
JF Hornby and Co launched its Have a Heart campaign in February and pledged to fund four life-saving devices through its charitable arm, the JF Hornby Foundation.
After agreeing to a partnership with the British Heart Foundation and taking delivery of the devices, the company posted an image of them on social media with MD Paul Hornby.
That led to a flood of requests from members of the public for a defibrillator in their community – which prompted Paul to double his pledge on the number of defibs the business will supply.
He said: “There has been a huge amount of support for our campaign, with numerous requests for defibs to be provided at community venues or locations.
“The original four we said we would buy and supply to the community simply won’t be enough – so I am delighted to say we will fund a further four defibrillators at a cost of £5,000 to be distributed to the communities we serve as a business.
“Life is so precious and if our campaign gives just one person who suffers a cardiac arrest a greater chance of survival, the investment will be more than worth it.
“We decided to link up with the British Heart Foundation because using them as a supplier is a win-win. We are content that we are buying the highest quality equipment from a reputable source – and we are supporting a vital charity in doing so.”
Each of the defibrillators will come with a cabinet that needs to be externally mounted on a building and have access to a power source.
Potential locations that have been suggested include Ford Park in Ulverston, the Croftlands estate in Ulverston and Barrow AFC.
Defibrillators are life-saving devices used to treat sudden cardiac arrest, a condition where the heart unexpectedly stops beating.
They work by delivering an electric shock to the heart, helping to restore a normal rhythm.
If a defibrillator is used in the first three to five minutes of someone having a cardiac arrest their chances of survival increase from 6% to 74%. Survival rates decrease by 10% with each minute that treatment is delayed.
