Press release from Herefordshire Heartstart:
Last year Herefordshire Heartstart was awarded a grant from the Tesco ‘Bags of Help’ initiative. Tesco teamed up with Groundworks to deliver a community funding scheme which sees grants raised from carrier bag sales in Tesco stores awarded to local community projects. Thanks must go to the people of Hereford voting for us in the charity token boxes ensuring that we received the grant we had applied for from this fund.
The grant enabled us to renew, replace and update the equipment we use during the provision of Heartstart courses to the people of Herefordshire. We have been able to purchase 4 complete sets of equipment for volunteers to use in the delivery of courses. This includes manikins, training defibrillators, projectors and DVD players; enabling us to deliver more courses to the local community. Training more people in essential lifesaving skills. We were also able to replace some of the broken or unreliable equipment that a small number of volunteers were having to use.
Approximately 80% of out of hospital cardiac arrests occur athome and 20% in public places. More immediate 999 calls and immediate cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) given by bystanders could increase the number of people who receive cardio-pulmonary resuscitation by the emergency services. This will increase the number of people who are given a chance of surviving, and ultimately increase the number of people who do survive when they are given CPR.
Countries with the highest rates of out of hospital cardiac arrest survival are those which have strengthened all 4 links in the chain of survival:
The current rate of initial bystander CPR in England is reported as being 43%. The vision the Trustees of Herefordshire Heartstart have is that everyone in the County can react to support a life and alert qualified medical assistance in emergency situations. To ensure that more people survive a heart attack or other life-threatening emergencies by providing quality training and imparting the confidence to act. The new equipment will enable us as a charity to continue in our aims to achieve this. Attendance at a Heartstart course run by Herefordshire Heartstart will teach you the skills and build confidence in the delivery of CPR and other lifesaving skills.
Herefordshire Heartstart courses are currently suspended due to the Coronavirus. However information about the charity and what we do can be found on our website www.herefordshireheartstart.org as well as our social media pages. Please contact us for further information.
