SKY BET, THE BRITISH HEART FOUNDATION AND CARDIFF CITY CALL ON COMMUNITY GROUPS IN CARDIFF TO APPLY FOR FUNDED DEFIBRILLATOR PACKAGE
- Research from the British Heart Foundation (BHF) reveals stark inequality in access to defibrillators across the UK with Caerau, Cardiff, amongst the priority areas in the UK where more community defibrillators are urgently needed
- Every minute without CPR and a defibrillator reduces survival chances by up to 10%
- Sky Bet – through its innovative Every Minute Matters campaign with the BHF – is fully funding 80 brand new community defibrillator packages to help the BHF in their mission to level up defibrillator inequality
- Community groups have until the 28th of February to apply for a funded community defibrillator package
Cardiff City, Sky Bet and British Heart Foundation (BHF) have teamed up to tackle defibrillator inequality in communities across the UK and are calling on local community groups and organisations in Cardiff to apply for a funded community defibrillator package ahead of the application closing date on 28th of February. The initiative – part of the BHF’s longstanding Community Defibrillator Fund – is designed to address the stark inequality in access to defibrillators in the UK and follows research from the BHF that revealed that Caerau is one of the priority areas in the UK where more community defibrillators are urgently needed.
Each year in the UK there are over 30,000 out-of-hospital-cardiac arrests but currently less that 1-in-10 survive.
According to BHF data, people living in Caerau are on average 639 metres away from their nearest public access defibrillator compared to the national recommendation of 200 meters.* This would roughly equate to a 7 minutes retrieval time.
Quick CPR and early access to a defibrillator is therefore vital to give someone the best chance of survival. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to 10 per cent. Eighty new community defibrillator packages are being funded by Sky Bet, as part of the Every Minute Matters campaign. Local areas awarded one of these defibrillators will be provided with a defibrillator and cabinet, and installation costs will be covered where required. Community groups awarded a
defibrillator can order future replacement parts free of charge when they expire or, are used in a rescue. As part of the scheme EFL Club Charities are helping to reach community groups that they regularly work with within the designated areas,
Cardiff City Medical Director, Prof. Len Nokes, who tragically lost his daughter Claire to cardiac arrest in 2017, said: “My daughter was just twenty-five when she collapsed. I remember arriving at the scene, the ambulance crew did everything they could. But every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces the chance of survival by up to ten per cent. So, by the time they got it into a rhythm that could be shockable, too many minutes had passed.
“My message to fans, indeed to everyone and anyone involved in a local community group in Cardiff is very simple. Get online and apply for a BHF funded defibrillator. The more freely accessible defibrillators we have in the community the more lives we can save.”
Campaign ambassador, Luton Town captain and cardiac arrest survivor, Tom Lockyer, said: “I’m living proof that quick CPR and defibrillation is vital – without it I simply wouldn’t be here today.
“Right now, the postcode a person lives in may have an important impact on their or a loved one’s chance of surviving a cardiac arrest. That’s why I’m passionate about supporting Sky Bet and the BHF in their mission to level up defibrillator inequality and ensure communities across the UK have equal access to these lifesaving devices.
“I’d urge anyone who is part of a community group or organisation in Cardiff to head to the BHF website and apply for a defibrillator – it could make all the difference in giving a member of your community a better chance at surviving a cardiac arrest.”
Sam Kennard, Community Defibrillator Programme Manager at the British Heart Foundation, said: “The BHF and Sky Bet believe everyone should have access to an emergency-ready defibrillator, no matter where they live. But there are currently stark inequalities in access to defibrillators in communities across the UK.”
A defibrillator is a device that gives a potentially lifesaving shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. Sam says: “Anyone can use a defibrillator, there is no training required.
“Once accessed the device will give clear instructions on how to use it and only deliver a shock if needed. If safe and possible always dial 999, the call handler will also talk you through every step of the process while further help is on the way.” The BHF say areas prioritised for the Community Defibrillation Programme include those with fewer registered defibrillators and communities where local health needs indicate a higher risk of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. The charity also ask that all defibrillators from the scheme are registered to The Circuit (the national defibrillator network) within 4 weeks of installation. This ensures ambulance call handlers can see your defibrillator when 999 is called in response to a cardiac arrest.
Launched in May this year by Sky Bet and the BHF, the groundbreaking Every Minute Matters campaign is on a mission to donate up to £3 million for the charity and to encourage 270,000 people to learn CPR – equivalent to three Wembley Stadiums.
The campaign has already proved a big hit by inspiring over 160,000 people to start learning life-saving CPR in a little over 8 months. The campaign has also raised an incredible £1,128,000 so far, including £380,000 from the Sky Bet Play Offs in May and £560,000 since August through Sky Bet’s pledge to donate £10,000 for every ‘stoppage time’ goal during the EFL 2024-2025 season.
To apply for a funded community defibrillator packages, click here!