Burnley residents set to become first aid heroes after free training sessions in life saving skills

Free sessions in CPR were run by Lancashire Ambulance Service at Rosegrove Railway Club.

Organised by Rosegrove Neighbourhood Watch, volunteers were given training on how to use a defibrillator, a device that gives a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. This shock is called defibrillation, and it's an essential part in trying to save the life of someone who’s in cardiac arrest.

The neighbourhood watch has already raised funds for a defib that has been placed outside Bird's chippy in Lowerhouse Lane and the campaign is now fund raising for one in Gannow Lane.

The neighbourhood watch's campaign has run alongside a fund raising challenge launched by Rosegrove resident Jodie Sutcliffe after her dad suffered a heart attack while in the garden of the family home earlier this year.

Jodie's instincts as a first aid trained nursery practitioner kicked in and she managed to lie her father on the ground in the recovery position, with the help of a neighbour who dashed round to help after hearing all the commotion. They began CPR and Jodie's older brother, Ben (30) rang 999.

Jodie added: "The operator told Ben we needed a defibrillator and the nearest one was located at Lowerhouse Cricket Club."

In a mercy dash Jodie's fiance, Luke Kelso, raced to get the life saving equipment, but by the time he returned with it the ambulance had arrived and paramedics were working to revive Michael.

The team spent 20 minutes working on Michael before he was blue lighted to the Royal Blackburn Hospital where doctors discovered he had suffered a heart attack followed by a cardiac arrest.

Michael was later transferred to Blackpool Victoria Hospital where he was fitted with a stent.

Realising how vital CPR and defibrillator units are, Jodie was determined to fund raise for more to be installed in her community and across Burnley. And she has smashed her £2,500 target by raising the grand total of £3,736.

The defib is on order and will be sited outside Rosegrove chippy on Lowerhouse Lane as it is close to the community playing fields.

Jodie said: "A cardiac arrest can happen to any one of us at any time. The world has already seen that as it happened to the footballer Christian Eriksen who is only 29 and fit and healthy."

According to the British Heart Foundation for every minute it takes for the defibrillator to reach someone and deliver a shock, their chances of survival reduce.

Jodie added: "Christian Eriksen was saved because they managed to get a defibrillator to him within six minutes.

“Heart attacks and cardiac arrests can literally happen to anybody and it wasn’t until I had to go through it that I realised how important things such as defibrillators truly are."

Covid-19 prevented any fund raising events from taking place for the Heart Matters campaign but a donation page has been set up and also several shops and businesses in Rosegrove have collection tins.

And a fund raising event will be held in October featuring spiritual medium Adrian Dobson. This will take place on Friday, October 15th, at Rosegrove Railway Club at 7pm. Tickets, priced at £5.50 for adults, are available by searching Rosegrove on www.ticketsource.co.uk. Tickets on the night are £8.

Collection boxes for the appeal are situated at: Birds Chippy, Rosegrove Post Office, Rosegrove Fruit and Veg Shop, Go with the Glow sunbed shop and Grove Cafe.

Donations can be made directly by bank transfer to: Rosegrove Neighbourhood Watch, sort code: 20-55-41 account number: 90554669 or email [email protected] or postal donations to 87 Rosegrove Lane, Burnley BB12 6EU

A second series of defib training sessions will take place in January and February and any residents who would like to book a place are asked to email [email protected]