Wigan community raises cash for new defibrillator

A new defibrillator has been installed in a Wigan township to help people in the event of a heart attack.

The equipment is outside the Swimsmart building on Bradley Lane in Standish and anyone can use it if there is an emergency.

Jess Holt, who owns The Studio gym and Shana Selby, manager of the Little Owls nursery, held a number of fund-raising events.

Parents from the nursery, the local community and members and attendees of classes then raised funds to purchase the defib.

Fund-raising saw Jess set up a “Run or Walk a Marathon in January” challenge, while the nursery school located within the same building - completed a sponsored run with the children, in an bid to raise funds.

Some £1,275 was needed to get the potentially life saving device and for an electrician to install it safely, but an amazing £1,878.42 was raised between the two fund-raising pages set-up.

They have some money spare so are currently looking into holding a first aid training day which they are hoping (Covid restrictions pending) to offer to the community.

Jess said: “This is an invaluable piece of life saving equipment.

“We feel so privileged to have this on the building, and so grateful to everyone who has donated and supported us to purchase it.

“The defib has been installed to the external wall of the building so it can be accessible to the public.

“It is to the right on the building so directly in front of you as you drive in to Unit

10.”

Shana said she hopes the defibrillator will be accessible to all those who use the building and the local community, although she hopes they will never have to use

it.

She said: “It’s difficult to determine an exact figure, but there are estimated to be over 60,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests every year in the UK.

“Survival rates are extremely poor at around 6%,but with timely CPR and defibrillation, this can increase to up to 74%.

“By placing more public access defibrillators throughout the whole of England, and by training more people in how to use them, we hope to create a future where fewer people die of a cardiac arrest.”

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