Ribble Valley charity joins the Lancashire Lifesavers with on-site defibrillator

From left to right: Sally Francis (senior human resources officer), Bridie Ainsworth (human resources administrator),LeoNoctor (learning and development coordinator) and Sue Woof (purchase ledger clerk) with the CANW defibrillator.

Lancashire Lifesavers – a joint campaign with BBC Radio Lancashire, the North West Ambulance Service and Lancashire County Council – aims to train 2,500 people across the county to perform CPR.

The campaign invited the public to nominate suitable locations for defibrillators to be installed and now, thanks to a nomination from Sally Francis at CANW, the lifesaving equipment has been installed.

Sally, CANW’s senior human resources officer, compiled an application stating why she felt the charity deserved to be considered as a location for a defibrillator.

She said: “We’ve been based in Wilpshire ever since James Dixon first opened our building as Blackburn Orphanage in 1891. As such a focal point in the local community, we felt we would offer the perfect place for one of these lifesaving defibrillators.

“Having our nomination accepted was a real achievement for everyone connected to CANW and all our first aiders have received training within their ‘First Aid at Work’ qualification. We’re also looking forward to receiving additional training from the North West Ambulance Service and becoming a team of real Lancashire Lifesavers.”

The defibrillator can be found at CANW head office on Whalley Road in Wilpshire, on the outside wall at the front of the building, making it easily accessible by staff and local residents alike.

Sue Cotton, CEO of CANW, said: “We’ve been making a difference in our local community for nearly 130 years and as new approaches to care evolve, such as better access to defibrillators, we’re proud to be at the forefront of this in our county.”

Chris Hyde, community resuscitation manager at NWAS, said: “We really hope that these defibrillators will make a real difference should someone suffer from a cardiac arrest.

“We have a simple message here at NWAS. The chance of survival is reduced by 10% for every minute without CPR and defibrillation, so the more people who have CPR training and access to defibrillators the better.”

The CANW public access cabinet is situated at the charity’s main reception at the front of the building on Whalley Road, Wilpshire.