West Lancashire football clubs urged to bid for one of 900 defibrillators available through FA and British Heart Foundation funding

Mar 21 2013 by Rob Pattinson, Ormskirk Advertiser

FOOTBALL clubs across West Lancs are being urged to bid for one of 900 defibrillators available through a £1.2m fund.

The FA and British Heart Foundation (BHF) have joined up to launch the fund a year on from former Premier League star Fabrice Muamba's on-pitch cardiac arrest.

The defibrillators – which treat people suffering from a sudden cardiac arrest – are available to clubs from the Blue Square Bet Premier to the county leagues at level six of non-league football, along with the WSL, the top tier of the women's game.

Sue Murrin-Bailey, of the Lancashire Defibrillator Campaign, said: “It’s amazing news. Now we need all local clubs to get in touch and see if they are eligible – the likes of Burscough FC and Skelmersdale United.

“It’s a wonderful thing the BHF are doing, on the first anniversary of what happened to Fabrice Muamba. He’s been a brilliant ambassador [since his recovery] raising awareness about heart health.”

Sue is currently running a competition with West Lancs schools to win one of three of the lifesaving devices with funds raised by the group.

She said: “It’s been brilliant, since the start of the competition we’ve had five schools looking to buy a defibrillator. We’re also looking to get schools to host ‘heart start’ training for parents in their halls.”

Next Thursday, March 28, Sue will be in Ormskirk town centre for the campaign’s annual Hop For Your Heart day. Shoppers and traders are being asked to gather outside the HSBC bank on Church Street at 12.15pm for a hop-along to the Bee Gees track Staying Alive.

There will be collection buckets to support the Lancashire Defibrillator Campaign’s ongoing work in the community.

For more information email Sue at lancsdefibs@ justshocking.org.uk