A PUBLIC Access Defibrillator has been installed at Ponteland Middle School, thanks to our partners in the Heart of Gold campaign, The Stephen Carey Fund.

The charity joined forces with the school to ensure the 1,800 pupils who attend the middle school and neighbouring high school, as well as 200 staff, have access to the life-saving equipment in the event of a sudden cardiac arrest.

The school contributed £500, as did Gateshead-based retro football shirt business Toffs, and the charity made up the difference to the £2,000 needed to supply and install the defibrillator to the outside of the middle school building before the end of term.

On July 15, students, staff and members of the local community turned out in force for an awareness session held at Ponteland Middle School to learn emergency life saving skills.

The training provided by Bryan Shendon and David Wilson, trustees of the charity. 

During the two hour session those attending learned the differences between angina, a heart attack and cardiac arrest, as well as how to place someone in the recovery position and administer CPR.

Using the Public Access Defibrillator was also demonstrated, but as the machines are automated and talk to the user, training is not a requirement. 

Mr Shendon, who is also treasurer, said: “The school contacted us a few months back to see if we could help them acquire a defibrillator and after a quick conversation they were really keen to look at a package that made the device available to the surrounding community.

“We had also been working with Toffs, a provider of retro football shirts, who had been really keen to help us out and we put the project together with all three parties contributing to the cost.”

The charity was set up three years ago in honour of a 21-year-old footballer from Alnmouth who died from an undiagnosed heart defect after collapsing while on the pitch.

Since then they have been helping communities across the county to install Public Access Defibrillators, and our Heart of Gold campaign aims to raise £10,000 to make more available in Tynedale.

Donations and pledges of support from all corners of the community have helped us break the £4,000 barrier to date.

Communities interested in hosting a defibrillator will be invited to apply.

If you‘d like to pledge a pound to help start a heart, you can make a donation online at www.hexhamcourant.co.uk/heartofgold