SANDY Hill is to become a community of lifesavers after the Bungalow community centre was fitted with a public access defibrillator (PAD) and awarded a CPR training kit by the British Heart Foundation (BHF).

The Sandy Hill Community Bungalow received the lifesaving machine and the Call Push Rescue training kit following its successful application for a Nation of Lifesavers Community Package from the charity.

The Community Package contains the innovative kit which includes everything needed to learn CPR in half an hour. The Bungalow plans to run training sessions in the community, meaning everyone can become potential lifesavers.

The defibrillator is a portable device that can be used by a member of the public to help restart the heart when someone has a cardiac arrest. This is when the heart stops pumping blood around the body and they lose consciousness almost at once.

For every minute that passes without defibrillation and CPR, chances of survival decrease by around 10 per cent. It’s therefore imperative that people know both of these vital steps to help someone in an emergency.

More than 30,000 cardiac arrests happen out of hospital in the UK every year but currently less than one in 10 survive. The BHF wants to create a Nation of Lifesavers in a bid to boost these shocking survival rates.

The charity believes defibrillators should be made more accessible and recognisable to the public and want all young people to be taught CPR and PAD awareness at school.

Since launching the campaign in 2014, more than 1.5 million people have joined the Nation of Lifesavers by learning life saving CPR.

Cathy Burroughs, manager of the Sandy Hill Bungalow, said: “We are delighted to have been awarded this lifesaving package. The defibrillator has been placed on the front wall of the Bungalow meaning that local people have the best chance of survival should they suffer a cardiac arrest.

“We’re keen to get as many people as possible trained in CPR too. Training sessions will be offered to the local community; if anyone is interested in attending these free sessions, please contact me directly by emailing sandyhillbun

Sara Askew, head of survival at the BHF, said: “In the UK more than 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital every year but less than one in 10 survive. More lives could be saved if more defibrillators were available in public places and if more people felt confident using them and performing CPR.

“We are delighted that Sandy Hill Community Bungalow have joined the BHF’s Nation of Lifesavers campaign - by making another defibrillator available in Sandy Hill and teaching CPR locally. It could really be the difference between life and death.”

To date the BHF have helped place over 14,000 life-saving defibrillators in communities around the UK. To find out more about defibrillators and how to place one in your organisation or community visit www.bhf.org.uk.

For more information on how to help BHF create a Nation of Lifesavers visit bhf.org.uk/lifesavers.