Mayor of Bexley Ray Simms (fourth right) with the BHF fundraising team

Bexley Mayor supports heart appeal

Robin Cottle, Reporter Tuesday, April 24, 2012
5:24 PM

The Mayor of Bexley was supporting a British Heart Foundation (BHF) appeal for more defibrillators in Bexleyheath today.

The appeal, at the BHF shop on Bexleyheath Broadway, hoped to raise over £2,500 to buy the portable machines giving people in the Bexley area vital life-saving equipment should they suffer a cardiac arrest.

They will be placed Asda on Bexleyheath Broadway, as well as the Furze Wren and Wrong ‘Un pubs. Each machine costs around £800 and Cllr Ray Simms was there to play his part in the fundraising effort.

BHF fundraising volunteer manager Joanne Howe said: “Having more defibrillators available locally for cardiac emergencies is crucial to saving lives.

“I’m glad the community in Bexleyheath are supporting to this appeal and hopefully they will do their own fundraising to raise money for this worthy cause.”

The machines work by delivering a controlled electric shock through the chest wall to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm.

Defibrillators came to prominence last month when they played their part in saving the life of footballer Fabrice Muamba when he had a heart attack during a match.

Miss Howe said: “Around 30,000 people suffer a cardiac arrest outside of hospital in the UK every year, of which less than 10 per cent will survive to be discharged from hospital.

“This shows the importance of making these machines more accessible to the public, including in Bexleyheath.”

For more information call 01474 537997, email howej@bhf.org.uk or visit www.bhf.org.uk/defibs.