A Nottingham mum said she was driven to raise funds for defibrillators for local football clubs after what happened to Christian Eriksen.
The Danish national team captain, Christian Eriksen, collapsed on the pitch during a Euro 2020 fixture against Finland. Players from his team rushed around the current Manchester United footballer, as he quickly received on-field medical attention.
He appeared to be up and well as he was taken off the pitch, and thanks to the quick actions of the paramedics inside the stadium his life was ultimately saved using the nearest defibrillator.
London Hearts can provide Charity Grant Funding towards the cost of a defibrillator and storage, as well as a free online training video.
Ms Vennell, who has now been nominated for a Pride of Britain Award, was shocked at how quickly Christian Eriksen was revived using the nearest defibrillator after his heart stopped beating.
Speaking to ITV News Central, Ms Vennell said: “It wasn’t the nicest thing to watch being a football fan, regardless of what team you support.
“You just hope they are fine, and thankfully he was, and he is now playing football which is great to see.
“Really, it was Christian Eriksen that made me think this needs to be sorted in the lower leagues and the grassroots clubs.”
Ms Vennell thought defibrillators should be essential at every football ground.
Her young son plays for a local team, Mapperley All Stars, and when she found out the nearest defibrillator to their club was a mile away, she set about raising funding for a defibrillator.
In just over a year, the Nottingham Forest fan has raised enough money for 25 defibrillators and defibrillator pads for grassroots clubs across Nottinghamshire.
She took to Twitter and Facebook and organised raffles, auctions and events at a local sports bar, determined to provide her club with life-saving equipment.
Ms Vennell said: “Since I’ve been fundraising, there have been quite a lot of tragedies within the grassroots family. A couple of players locally have passed away from cardiac arrest. I think they should be accessible handily instead of being in a box and having to ring for a code.
“These clubs should have them in their hands, ready to be used.”
She was spurred on to raise money towards defibrillator costs for other clubs in Nottinghamshire after being widely applauded by the football community.
Speaking to ITV News Central, chairman of Mapperley All Stars, Mark Buckley, said: “It’s extraordinary; when I heard about it, I thought it would be one or two she would secure, but to get 25 for teams in Nottingham is a real achievement.
“We are mighty proud of her here at Mapperley All Stars.”
The club has 200 children who play every weekend with brothers, sisters, parents and grandparents. Having life-saving equipment on hand gives the managers and coaches peace of mind.
Mr Buckley said: “Before Amanda bought the defib, our nearest one was a mile away, so someone would have to go a mile away should anything happen; to have one on-site is massive for us.”
All grassroots football clubs are not for profit, so usually, equipment like this is unaffordable.
Ms Vennell said: “Every bit of money they get is already allocated, whether it’s training equipment, kits or paying for somewhere to train; all that money is accounted for, so they can’t afford to purchase these [defibrillators].”
She says she is not stopping at 25 defibrillators, as she plans to keep raising money for more, knowing they could save a life.
It’s been an honour of ours to supply life saving equipment to this cause and make local football clubs a little more heart-safe.
Start your defibrillator fundraising project today.
We welcome applications from any individual, organisation or charity around the UK! So make sure to apply for a London Hearts defibrillator today. Also, check out our articles for all the latest on how London Hearts, the defibrillator charity, has helped support communities.
Get in touch with us today by raising an enquiry via our contact form, calling us on 020 7043 2493 or dropping us an email at info@londonhearts.org.
A huge well done to One Body Athletic who have recently installed an utterly essential, life saving defibrillator outside of their gym.
The owner said: “So to all of our members, in case we push you a little too hard, have no fear – we’ll revive you and have you back in action in no time! All joking aside – our defibrillator is open access, so for anybody who lives in the S66 area near Meadowhall, this is located right outside our door in case of an emergency.
A huge thank you to those who helped us to raise the funds and make this possible and a big shoutout to my dad and father-in-law for the install.”
There are roughly 6.7 thousand health and fitness clubs in the United Kingdom with approximately 9.7 million members.That’s a huge footfall.
When you also consider the fact that athletes and sportspeople are up to three times more likely to suffer a sudden cardiac arrest, having a defibrillator at your gym where people could be partaking in strenuous exercise seems like a no brainer!
We welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK! Apply online here
Have a project in mind? Give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org
Access to CPR machines, such as defibrillators, can greatly improve the chances of survival from any out of hospital cardiac arrest.
The number of people surviving cardiac arrests outside of a hospital is the highest it’s ever been at 10.8%, which is twice the rate it was a decade ago. A charity like London Hearts can help increase these statistics even further, with the installation of more life-saving defibrillators across the UK.
London Hearts can provide Charity Grant Funding towards the cost of a defibrillator and storage, as well as a free online training video.
At Wee Gems Armadale, a parent attended a first aid talk at a local baby group and learned the importance of a defibrillator when someone is unresponsive and CPR is required.
Arnold Clark and Asda in Armadale are where the nearest defibrillators to Broxburn can be found, and these are only available during office hours. With ambulance response times increasing, parents reached out to Wee Gems and expressed the importance of having a public access CPR machine closer than they had at the time. This is a vital resource for the local community and something that would greatly benefit the Broxburn area.
Wee Gems Armadale were more than happy to host the device and supported the parent as she fundraised for this!
With the help and support of all Wee Gems families and other companies, they were able to raise the £1500 target and more, which went towards fitting, testing and maintenance of the device in Broxburn.
Thank you to those parents for leading the way and to everyone who helped make it happen. If you want to support your community with the installation of a London Hearts defibrillator, start your project today.
We welcome applications from any individual, organisation or charity around the UK! Make sure to apply for a defibrillator today. Also, check out our articles for all the latest on London Hearts and how we have helped communities get funding for a defibrillator.
Get in touch with us today by raising an enquiry via our contact form.
Gill Gallagher, who runs Dolly’s Kiosks next to Fleetwood boating lake, and pals Helen Crane and Gilly Atkinson have raised funds to buy 20 defibrillators and have them installed in public places across the town and some points in Thornton and Poulton as well.
The ladies, all from Fleetwood, have raised around £25,000 in the space of just one year, by tirelessly staging a series of fundraisers, including psychic nights, pub quizzes and online raffles.
And that’s were Dolly the scarecrow, complete with Stetson hat and guitar, comes in.
The effigy of the American country music legend, sitting in a chair in front of the ice cream and refreshments kiosks, is helping to promote the pads campaign and raise a few extra funds.
Dolly was originally created as part of a scarecrow festival in Fleetwood for the Queen’s jubilee, but Gill decided to keep her for their campaign.
Gill, 50, said: “Dolly is helping raise a few extra pennies for us and is promoting the campaign.
“People stop to ask about her and when we mention our campaign, they’re happy to help.
The impressive work of the trio even led them to receive an Early Day Motion award from Parliament, after Fleetwood MP Cat Smith highlighted their endeavours.
For more information visit the Wyre and Fylde Community Defibrillators Fundraising Facebook page.
We love helping to supply this organisation with such life-saving equipment.
We welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK! Apply online here
Have a project in mind? Give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org
The last, but by no means the least, public access defibrillator that was bought with funds donated to Katie’s Heart Appeal from the Stanford Park Christmas lights event, and The Rotary Club’s Santa Sleigh route, has been installed.
Katie’s Heart Appeal Defibrillators in the Community campaign started when Katie had been rushed into A&E majors by ambulance Christmas 2012 as she was in an irregular dangerously high heart rhythm again.
Katie was admitted for 24/7 monitoring for 5 days under the guidance of her cardiologist at the Royal Brompton Hospital. Her heart just could not stay in a regular rhythm despite her medication and emergency treatment.
One morning on the ward round Katie asked the consultant “why do I have to go to A&E every time, why can’t I just come straight to the children’s ward”
The consultant replied “Because that’s where all the life saving medication is, and where we keep the defibrillators”
Katie said “well then you should have defibrillators everywhere”
The consultant agreed and said to Katie “yes you are right”.
Once Katie was out of danger and was allowed to return home. Katie’s family started looking to see if there were any public access defibrillators local to them. After contacting the Arrhythmia Alliance and AED Locator, they were informed not only were there no Public Access Defibrillators in Stanford, there were none in Thurrock.
Fast forward 10 years on, Katies Heart Apppeal now have their own group of Team Katie Guardians who continue to maintain the defibrilaltors they’ve managed to install in the community.
Thurrock Branch Royal Airforce Association (RAFA) funded their latest cabinet from the Christmas raffle they held last December. Now, every school in Thurrock who didn’t have a defibrillator now has one!
This makes a total of 38 defibrillators and 11 cabinets donated by Katie’s Heart Appeal.
We love working with Katie’s Heart Appeal Team and helping to supply such important life saving equipment for their community.
We welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK! Apply online here
Have a project in mind? Give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org
Scott Bros has invested generously in London Hearts defibrillators through fundraising with Community Public Access Defibrillators (CPAD) and other activities. Scott Bros has been a Teeside based expert in recycling and haulage since 1971.
They worked alongside CAPD and London Hearts to raise funds for defibrillator costs. At London Hearts, we are a defibrillator charity aiming to support communities and reduce the impact of cardiac arrest.
If you’re starting a community project and want to raise your defibrillator costs, keep reading on to learn how Scott Bros did it, or you can read our other articles for more inspiration on the different projects you can get involved in to raise funding.
Recycling specialist Scott Bros has invested £4,000 in three public access defibrillators, donating one to the CPAD Ingleby Barwick group.
The family-run firm has installed one at its depot on Haverton Hill Road, Billingham, and the second at Thornaby Sports and Leisure Club, which is run by director Peter Scott. By working directly with CPAD, they have ensured more people have access to their nearest defibrillator.
Community Public Access Defibrillators (CPAD) Ingleby Barwick is a community defibrillator charity in the UK that has already installed the donated life-saving equipment outside of IB Leisure.
CAPD has already provided five public access defibrillators on the estate, home to 22,500 people, with a further two to be fitted in the coming weeks. The aim of the group, launched in January this year, is to install a total of 14 across Ingleby Barwick so no resident is more than 500 metres away from their nearest defibrillator.
To raise direct funds for a defibrillator, CAPD held the Ingleby Hearts Community Fete outside IB Leisure as a thank you to the community for its support. The event included live music from Tom Powell and Rebecca York, craft and food stalls, activities, competitions and free CPR and defibrillator training.
As part of its fundraising activities, the group approached Scott Bros who recognised the importance of defibrillators and agreed to lend its support.
Deborah Gale, Chair of the CPAD Ingleby Barwick Fund and a former Emergency Care Assistant, said: “We are hugely grateful to the generosity of Scott Bros and would appeal to other businesses to get involved. Of the 46 cardiac arrests that took place in Ingleby Barwick between 2018 and July last year, sadly only one survived and they were the only people to be treated with a defibrillator. We hope they never have to be used, but it certainly provides peace of mind knowing this life saving equipment is there.”
Peter Scott said: “We are proud to contribute to the tremendous work that CPAD Ingleby Barwick is doing. The chance of surviving a cardiac arrest rises from 6% to 74% if a defibrillator is used within three minutes, so it’s important further defibrillators are available throughout the area.”
Choosing to start a community project to raise money for a defibrillator is one of the best ways you can contribute to saving lives, as it gives more people access to life saving defibrillators. At London Hearts, we want to help you when it comes to starting your project and beginning your fundraising efforts.
Positively, Scott Bros business premises and their location were added to the national defibrillator network too, which, as well as being shared with emergency services, made people aware of where the nearest defibrillator could be found.
Apply for defibrillator funding today!
We are always delighted to work alongside the CPAD Ingleby Barwick Fund to maximise coverage of defibrillators in the UK! Their project helps save lives, and if you are an organisation looking to raise costs for defibrillators, London Hearts can help.
At London Hearts, we welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK looking to raise funds for defibrillators! Learn how you can get involved and apply for a defib today.
If you already have a project in mind and want to get started, contact us for more information. You can also give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org.
A village gym in north-west Sutherland has secured life-saving CPR machines for its local community, installing multiple London Hearts defibrillators to be used in case of an emergency.
Thanks to their fundraising efforts, Kinlochbervie High School Community Gym has installed a pair of automated external defibrillator (AED) units at two different locations in the village. The CPR machines can prove life-saving in the event of a cardiac arrest and being the nearest defibrillator for many of the locals are an asset to the community.
The first London Hearts defibrillator was installed at the gym itself, and the other at an out-of-village location. A third AED is already in situ at Kinlochbervie village hall.
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Paula Macleod, admin team leader for North West Sutherland schools said: “We want our pupils, staff, gym users and visitors to feel safe and secure in the knowledge that even though we are a remote and rural school if the worst should happen we are equipped and ready to help.
“As there is an outside defib just along from the high school at the village hall, we thought it would be good to place the other one further down towards Oldshoremore and Blairmore where there is a lot of summer footfall.”
The second defib found a home at Oldshoremore Retreats in Rhiconich. It has been installed in a temperature-controlled cabinet and is available for public use if needed.
Angela Whitlock-Johnson, proprietor of Oldshoremore Retreats said: “We’ve been working closely with the community providing EMDR therapy, Clinical Hypnosis and Yoga Therapy for the past few months, often working with people with anxiety. We also have many visitors on-site or passing by so felt it was essential to have a defibrillator.
At London Hearts, we are the leading heart defibrillator charity in the UK. We aim to support communities with life-saving heart defibrillators and to teach CPR skills. We want to make a difference and reduce the distance of everyone in the UK’s nearest defibrillator.
Browse our blogs to find out more about what we do for local communities, or get in touch with our team to find out how we can support you in installing a London Hearts defibrillator locally to you.
We welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK! Apply online here
Have a project in mind? Give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org
In this article, we explore how London Hearts helped supply Pevensey with two defibrillators through a collaboration with the Rainbow Wishes charity.
At London Hearts, we are dedicated when it comes to ensuring more people have access to their nearest defibrillator in the event of cardiac arrest. To learn how we ensured this, keep reading on and make sure to check out our range of other articles for more information.
Rainbow Wishes, a charity based in Pevensey have been working to raise funding for a defibrillator and provide support for those in need. Rainbow Wishes helped with defibrillator costs by loading up a lorry full of supplies, including medical equipment for Ukraine at St Luke’s Church in Stone Cross on March 17.
A spokesperson for Rainbow Wishes said, “The response from the local community has been incredible and I’d like to thank every single person that made a donation, the local businesses that provided support, and not to mention our amazing volunteers who helped sort and pack the items and the driving team that got everything safely to those that needed it!
St. Luke’s Church also allowed us to use their centre which made an enormous difference and allowed us to expand our collections, beyond what we could have imagined. To see the smile on the faces of women and children who saw tonnes of supplies and toys coming off the lorry, all for them, is incredibly humbling. They left their homes and fled with no more than a small rucksack.”
Medical supplies donations for two hospitals also flew in and with the additional money raised, through our Just Giving Page, we could purchase two London Hearts defibrillators as well. Thanks to London Hearts for offering us an amazing discount for those. We’ve been really struck by the respect shown by the local communities in Poland who don’t see these people as refugees, they are their Ukrainian local residents, and more than that, they are their friends. We are so excited to be able to carry on helping them in any way we can.”
There are more than 3,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests per year, so funding for defibrillators is important as having more defibrillators available in public places will save more lives.
They will have a better chance of survival, which is why fundraising projects like Rainbow Wishes are so important. Anyone can get involved with fundraising by checking out our fundraising page and you can also learn how to apply for a defib.
London Hearts was honoured to have helped you raise funds for two Mindray defibrillators and provide support for those in need in Ukraine.
If you want to get a defibrillator set up, we welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK! If you have a project in mind you can contact us here or call us on 02070432493.
Last week Katie received a Pride of Essex Award for Katie’s Heart Appeal for continuing to place defibrillators in the community.
One morning on the ward round Katie asked the consultant “why do I have to go to A&E every time, why can’t I just come straight to the children’s ward”
The consultant replied “Because that’s where all the life saving medication is, and where we keep the defibrillators”
Katie said “well then you should have defibrillators everywhere”
The consultant agreed and said to Katie “yes you are right”.
Once Katie was out of danger and was allowed to return home. Katie’s family started looking to see if there were any public access defibrillators local to them. After contacting the Arrhythmia Alliance and AED Locator, they were informed not only were there no Public Access Defibrillators in Stanford, there were none in Thurrock.
The residents of Maple and Stanford Park were also highly commended for raising an amazing amount of money for Katies Heart Appeal at the Stanford Park Christmas Lights last year that enabled them to purchase 18 defibrillators and 4 cabinets for their local community.
In total Katie’s Heart Appeal has donate 45 defibrillators and 12 public access cabinets, ensuring that every school in Thurrock now has a defibrillator.
We love working with Katie’s Heart Appeal Team and It’s always an absolute pleasure to supply you with such lifesaving equipment for Essex.
Thank you for choosing London Hearts and congratulations!
We welcome applications from any organisation or charity around the UK! Apply online here
Have a project in mind? Give us a call on 02070432493 or drop us an email at info@londonhearts.org
