Housing Association Charity Shop Gift Defibrillators to Local Community

Crosby Housing Association (CHA) has gifted the communities in Waterloo and Seaforth Defibrillators using funds raised by their Charity Shop.

Working in partnership with The Oliver King Foundation, the defibrillators were presented to CHA staff on 21st July 2021 outside of CHA’s Charity Shop on Lorne Road, Waterloo and Fitness Connection on Seaforth Road, Seaforth. Also in attendance was owners of Fitness Connection, Linda and Ray Handley, Peter Dowd MP and Councillor Paul Cummins.

CHA Charity Shop has been in the community for over 50 years and has supported a range of projects in the communities they work in.

Hannah Wilson, HR & Governance Manager at CHA said “We understand the importance of the community having access to defibrillators. This is a project that we have been working on since December 2019, but due to the pandemic it was put on hold. The need for defibrillators has been highlighted again recently following the collapse of Christian Erikson at the Euro 2020 tournament.”

“We are pleased that alongside the Oliver King Foundation, we can finally gift the defibrillators to the residents and visitors to Waterloo and Seaforth and would like to take this opportunity to thank Fitness Connection Gym in Seaforth for allowing the defibrillator to be fitted to their building and our maintenance contractor Penny Lane Builders for their support in the installation.”

Joanne and Mark King set up the foundation in 2012, in honour of their son Oliver, who tragically lost his life in 2011 to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) during a PE lesson.

Since setting up the foundation, they have placed 5500 defibrillators across the UK, delivered over 100,000 training sessions and has saved 56 lives, with the youngest being only four years old.

Mark King said “It has been a pleasure working with Crosby Housing Association. What a massive achievement installing 2 community boxes and defibrillators in both Waterloo and Seaforth, using funds raised from their Charity Shop. A massive thank you from myself and the team at The Oliver King Foundation.”

Every single week in the UK, 12 young people under the age of 35 die from SADS, a hidden heart condition that can affect even the most fit and healthiest people.

Peter Dowd MP added: “Defibrillators save lives, so I am delighted that Crosby Housing in partnership with The Oliver King Foundation have made this invaluable purchase. It is important that we continue to build a vital network of defibrillators in key locations like the two being installed so whenever anyone is in need, they can be given a life chance by one of these machines.”

For more information on the Oliver King Foundation please visit their website: www.theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk