Member Article

Cardiac Science donates defib to Burnage Rugby Club

Leading Stockport-based defibrillator manufacturers have donated a state-of-the- art device to Burnage Rugby Club in Heaton Mersey.

The new Powerheart AED (automated external defibrillator) from Cardiac Science, who are neighbours of the club, will be sited at the club’s Varley Park ground to protect staff, players and visitors.

It will also be on hand for the wider community who use the rugby club for events such as the Saturday morning Respect League football, American and Gaelic football, and regular car boot sales. Nearby companies on the Heaton Mersey Business Park are also set to benefit.

The AED has been installed in partnership with the North West Ambulance Service.

The Ambulance Service is aware of the location and availability of the defibrillator and can divert members of the public towards the AED during an emergency call.

Cardiac Science, which designs, manufactures and markets the innovative Powerheart AEDs, will also provide ongoing support to the club, who now have two AEDs, one for at home and one for when they go on tour.

The company’s Managing Director, Shaun Ingram, said: “We are delighted to be able to donate a defibrillator to Burnage Rugby Club. It will also provide peace of mind for local businesses close by and for everyone associated with the club.”

“It’s great to hear that the club can now take a defibrillator away on games and tours, and with the club being just a stone’s throw away from us here at Cardiac Science, we will be able to provide support whenever it’s needed.”

Burnage Rugby Club General Manager, Paul Moss, added: “I hope we never have need of the new defibrillator, but should we have an emergency, we now have the opportunity to save a life, thanks to Cardiac Science’s generosity.”

The previous defibrillator was donated by the North West Ambulance Service following the death of promising 19-year-old flanker Josh Merrick, who sadly passed away in his sleep from an undiagnosed heart condition in 2013.

The club now works alongside The Josh Merrick Memorial Fund, set up by the teenager’s family and friends, to host social and sporting events to raise money for charity, CRY (Cardiac Risk in the Young).

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by James Welton .