Society helping save lives with vital heart equipment

MORE THAN 40 life-saving pieces of equipment have been installed across the county, thanks to Central England Co-operative.

The Society has installed 41 defibrillators throughout Leicestershire as part of a scheme that will see hundreds of the life-saving devices eventually placed in their stores.

It is estimated that around 100,000 people die from Sudden Cardiac Arrest in the UK each year and, while CPR saves the lives of around nine per cent, CPR used alongside a defibrillator can increase the chance of survival to 50 per cent.

The Central England Co-operative already has defibrillators sited at a number of its shops, but announced further funding for the phased installation of hundreds of defibrillators over the next year.

The business is working with ambulance services to identify the most suitable sites for equipment and, where possible, these will be in external locations allowing community use in an emergency at any time of day or night.

Martyn Cheatle, Central England Co-operative chief executive, said: “Sudden Cardiac Arrest is one of the UK’s biggest killers and, after listening to the concerns of customers, members and partners, we want to help tackle the issue by getting more lifesaving equipment into communities where it can save lives.

“As a responsible business we place a huge focus on making a positive contribution to the communities in which we trade; we are delight- ed to be able to build on our existing work with this new project which we are funding from the carrier bag levy.”

Every installation will include familiarisation sessions available to staff at Society outlets, nearby business, local residents and community groups.

For more information, speak to workers in-store to find out more details about the events.