Redrow donate defibrillator to local primary

Above: Mrs Strickland, school medical officer, Andrea Roach, Hand on Heart trainer, Melanie Ferris, Redrow sales consultant; with pupils from Upton Priory Primary School

House builder Redrow, in partnership with Hand on Heart charity, have delivered a vital piece of equipment to Upton Priory Primary School.

A defibrillator, retailing at more than £1,000, has been called an “essential lifesaving step in the chain of survival” by the British Heart Foundation. It provides a high energy electric shock to the heart through the chest wall of someone who is in cardiac arrest.

Along with providing the vital piece of equipment, Redrow has also helped fund a training package for the school for Hand on Heart to provide basic life support sessions.

Jason Newton, sales director for Redrow Homes (NW), said: “We thoroughly enjoyed visiting Upton Priory alongside Hand on Heart who are doing a tremendous job to raise awareness of cardiac arrest in the young and the need for defibrillators in schools. This is the second defibrillator that we have recently donated to a primary school in Macclesfield Cheshire and is part of our commitment to support thriving communities, along with developing high quality homes in the area.”

Hand on Heart – whose volunteers attended the school alongside Redrow – was established as a national campaign to raise awareness of cardiac arrest in the young and the need for defibrillators in schools.

Upton Priory Primary School  headteacher Emma Ransom said the donation would provide a vital asset in the event of an emergency. “It was a wonderful gesture and we thank Redrow and Hand on Heart for their welcome visit – the defibrillator will be of enormous benefit to the school,” she added.