Organisers of the weekly parkruns in Rushcliffe Country Park have taken delivery of a crucial piece of life-saving equipment – a defibrillator – which its own community stumped up the necessary funds for within a day!
A social media appeal on March 30th raised the £816 required for the new, portable unit in less than half a day. The defibrillator arrived in Ruddington in time to be officially handed over on Easter Saturday morning by event ambassador Shane Sharkey to Geoff Hardy, Rushcliffe Parkrun Event Director Geoff Hardy (pictured above).
Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) are used to treat sudden cardiac arrest, a condition when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating, which usually causes death if not treated within minutes. Having an accessible defibrillator on hand to quickly deliver a targeted shock can mean the difference between life and death on the rare occasions it’s needed. Consequently they’re considered a ‘must-have’ at the start/finish line of all parkruns worldwide.
“Since our first event in 2012, we’ve been fortunate to be able to use a portable defibrillator kindly provided by the Country Park” explains Geoff. “However, it’s now 11 years old, and replacement batteries and pads are becoming expensive and will soon be obsolete. As there’s now a permanent defibrillator attached to the Education Centre, the park won’t be replacing the portable unit. So we needed to do this ourselves.”
He adds: “The amazing generosity of our community means that we hit our target required to purchase the defibrillator in less than 8 hours. We are overwhelmed and humbled and can only say THANK YOU, THANK YOU, THANK YOU!!”
Rushcliffe Parkrun is a free, weekly, 5k run or walk that takes place every Saturday morning at 9am in our country park – one of 2000 such events across the world. It’s open to everyone, regardless of age, ability or fitness level. On average, Ruddington has 350 parkrunners and 25 volunteers each week.
Rushcliffe Junior Parkrun is a 2k event for children aged 4 to 14. It’s held each Sunday, also at 9am. On average there are 75 participants and 30 volunteers, many of these parents of the children.
Villagers and visitors can participate safe in the knowledge that the very latest life-saving equipment is at hand.
