Gold award for Collegiate

WARRINGTON Collegiate has won a gold award for its dedication to raising awareness of heart health and basic life support, as well as installing four defibrillators and training staff how to use them in an emergency.
Health and Safety Officer Gary Lindsay travelled to the CardiacSmart Awards at the Reebok Stadium in Bolton to collect the award.
He said: “Cardiac arrest is the most extreme case of an emergency, as the patient loses consciousness at once and there are no signs of life. The Defibrillators gives an electric shock through the chest wall and help to restore a normal heartbeat.
“The statistics are staggering. Around 30,000 people suffer cardiac arrest outside of hospital each year in the UK, and with every minute a person fails to receive treatment, their chances of survival decreases by ten per cent. If we can make a difference to just one person, that would be an amazing achievement.
“Thanks to the training we have received from NWAS we really are increasing the chances of survival for anybody using our facilities who suffers a cardiac arrest. We have 4 defibrillators in place through fundraising and have trained 24 staff in basic life support and a total of 120 students have also been trained. We will continue to raise awareness of how important improving access to a defibrillator is in local communities.
“We have not actually had to use any of the Defibrillators yet, though we have once taken one to an emergency call in College when someone was suffering with chest pains.
“Our award will be proudly displayed in the Main Reception area for all to see and is testament to the work that our staff/volunteers have put into making Warrington Collegiate a healthier place for staff, students and visitors.”