Ulverston accounting firm JF Hornby & Co says 'Have a Heart'

JF Hornby & Co's charitable division, The Hornby Foundation, has kicked off its Have a Heart campaign by pledging £5,000 to provide four community defibrillators.

Throughout 2024, various fundraising events will be held to raise money for at least one additional defibrillator in a bid to save lives.

Managing director Paul Hornby said: "Our communities are at the heart of everything we do and it’s important to me that when we can make an impact or a positive difference, we do just that.

"Defibrillators can - and do - save lives.

"There is already a relatively advanced network of them across the Furness Peninsula, but when it comes to precious minutes and seconds, the more we have, the better.

“We will spend some time working with the relevant authorities to identify areas of need and take action based on this.”

Defibrillators are essential in cases of sudden cardiac arrest (SCA), in which the heart unexpectedly stops beating, as they can help restart the heart by delivering an electric shock.

Early use of a defibrillator can significantly raise the chances of survival after SCA; if used within three-five minutes, survival rates can be boosted from six to 74 per cent.

Survival rate decreases by 10 per cent with each minute the treatment is delayed.

According to the British Heart Foundation, using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED) in tandem with CPR can significantly increase survival rates from SCA.

In 2021, JF Hornby & Co showed its commitment to heart health by donating a defibrillator to Ulverston parkrun.

Mr Hornby said: "As a part of it, we will be training our team members in CPR - another vital tool in the battle to save someone’s life who has either suffered a cardiac arrest or stopped breathing for another reason."

Donations to the Have a Heart campaign are welcomed.

They can be sent to J F Hornby Limited T/A J F Hornby & Co Clients Account, account number 56622341, sort code 01-08-93.