New defibrillators installed at three sites in Oldham

Pictured at the Great Places managed Cooper Street development in Springhead are (left to right): Ryan Smith (Head of Neighbourhoods - Great Places Housing Group), Anthony Grundy (Project Manager - Wates Living Space), Cllr Alicia Marland (Ward Councillor for Saddleworth West and Lees) and Steven Shephard (Chair of the Oldham and Saddleworth Round Table)

Great Places, Wates and the Oldham and Saddleworth Round Table have been working in partnership with Cllr Alicia Marland, Ward Councillor for Saddleworth West and Lees, and the Primrose and Crossley Community Associations to provide funding to enable three defibrillators to be installed across Oldham.

Defibrillators are small machines that can shock a person’s heart into restarting after a cardiac arrest.

According to data from the British Heart Foundation, less than 1 in 10 people survive an out of hospital cardiac arrest and a major reason for this is a lack of defibrillators in public spaces.

The defibrillators have been installed outside the Primrose Centre at Primrose Bank and the Crossley Centre in Chadderton as well as the Great Places managed Cooper Street development which is in Springhead.

Defibrillators are very easy to use; there is no clinical training required to use the machine and this allows members of the public to become lifesavers.

Paul Doherty, Housing Management PFI Manager at Great Places, said: “On behalf of Great Places, I am proud to have supported this project and I would like to thank our partners not only for helping to fund these new defibrillators, but also for arranging to have them installed across our three sites in Oldham.

"These new defibrillators will allow members of the public to administer vital life-saving treatment and significantly increase the survival chances of anyone who suffering from a cardiac arrest.”

Anthony Grundy, Project Manager at Wates Living Space, added: “Working in partnership with Great Places, Wates are proud to support and be part of the project to supply and install three defibrillators across Oldham.

"The Police and Ambulance crews carry defibrillators, but putting additional defibrillators across the borough offers a greater chance of life saving treatment to a person suffering from cardiac arrest as more and more are available in the public domain.”

Steven Shephard, Chair of the Oldham and Saddleworth Round Table, added: “Supporting local initiatives like this is exactly what Table look to support to benefit the local community.

"We raise funds through the year through various events exactly for these types of causes, being able to partner with Great Places, Wates and Cllr Taylor was something we were very keen to support.”

Training on lifesaving CPR is currently being arranged via the partnership and will take place at both community centres.

For further info please visit the social media sites of the Crossley and Primrose Centres, or the Saddleworth Round Table.

Do you have a story for us? Want to tell us about something going on in and around Oldham? Let us know by emailing news@oldham-chronicle.co.uk , calling our Oldham-based newsroom on 0161 633 2121 , tweeting us @oldhamchronicle or messaging us through our Facebook page. All contact will be treated in confidence.