Wardle defibrillator available 24/7 thanks to Tesco funding

A defibrillator

Wardle Football Club has made their defibrillator available 24/7 thanks to funding received from the Tesco Bags of Help scheme.

The club previously had an automated external defibrillator (AED) stored inside the building, which meant the machine had limited availability, but has now been transferred to a defibrillator cabinet ensuring the AED is fully protected and available when needed.

A defibrillator is a device that gives a high-energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall to someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Providing an essential and potentially life-saving stage in the treatment of anyone suffering a cardiac arrest, defibrillators are easy to operate with step-by-step instructions for members of the community to use in an emergency.

Responsible for around 100,000 deaths in the UK every year, sudden cardiac arrest is one of the country’s biggest killers but quick and easy access to a defibrillator can significantly increase the chances of survival.

A spokesperson for the AEDdonate charity said: “We would urge other organisations to consider whether they could make their defibrillator available for the whole community instead of during opening hours.”

Since launching in 2015, Bags of Help has awarded more than £33 million, raised from the 5p bag levy, across more than 6,400 local projects in 600 communities.