Youngsters hope to save more lives in Leicester’s city centre after raising the funds for a community defibrillator. Children who attend the Masjid Umar Mosque raised the money for the device, which has been placed outside the Age UK building on Stoughton Drive North.
This now means if somebody suffers a cardiac arrest or heart attack in the area, they have a greater chance of survival. East Midlands Ambulance Service will now undertake training with members of the local community to teach them how to use the device and how to administer CPR in an emergency situation.
Mark Gregory, General Manager for Leicestershire at EMAS, said: “Every second counts when someone has a serious illness, especially involving the heart. That’s exactly why we will be teaching CPR alongside using the equipment." he continued "Having a defibrillator as close to an emergency provides the best chance of saving a person’s life, so having one in an area that can have a lot of people gathering in regularly is certainly a positive step.”
Sheike Javed of Masjid Umar, said: “I’m extremely proud of the children for raising the funds to buy this piece of lifesaving equipment." adding that “We have quite a few places where people gather in this area, including a school, a church and our Mosque so it’s great to know that these people, along with every other member of the local community, are better protected by having it in place for public use.”
Martin Fagan national secretary for The Community Heartbeat Trust, the charity that partnered with the community and Mosque in the placement of the defibrillator, said: "This device is designed to be used by anyone and will help save lives." going on to say "The defibrillator has easy visuals, so it can be used by anyone - young or old, English and non-English speakers and by those who have never used a device like this before."
“We are delighted to have given a grant towards this placement and to support the community going forward.”