Defibrillator installed after fund-raising drive
Lifesaving equipment has been installed in the heart of Sunderland city centre.
Newcastle Building Society has placed a defibrillator outside its branch on Waterloo Place after partnering with children’s charity The Red Sky Foundation.
More than £2,000 was raised to purchase the defibrillator with the Foundation and Society working together on the best central location to place it.
Sergio Petrucci, founder of The Red Sky Foundation, said: “To put it simply, the greatest benefit of having access to a defibrillator is that they save lives.
“Using a defibrillator may increase the chance of survival from around 10 per cent with good effective CPR, up to possibly 60 to 80 percent with a defibrillator at hand for immediate use.
“It’s thanks to companies like Newcastle Building Society – who act as guardians to regularly check these units – that we’re able to help more people in worst case scenarios.”
Stuart Fearn, head of customer contact at Newcastle Building Society, said: “We’re delighted to work with the Red Sky Foundation to fit the new defibrillator outside our Sunderland branch.
“Although it’s a first for the Society, we’re committed to supporting our communities and with a growing network of 31 branches in central locations across the
North East, North Yorkshire and Cumbria, we know we’re well placed to help, and we really appreciate how vital these pieces of equipment are.”
For more information on The Red Sky Foundation, visit www.redskyfoundation.com or to discover more about the Newcastle Building Society Community Fund go to www. newcastle.co.uk