The Bolton ICD Support Group is delighted to announce its first Charity Ball; The Heart of Bolton Ball is to be hosted in the Platinum Suite at The Reebok Stadium on Saturday 27th September 2014. Every penny raised at the Ball will go towards purchasing automated external defibrillators (AEDs) for schools or sports clubs in Bolton. We are looking for donations of raffle prizes for this event. Naturally, before you can consider helping us, you will want to learn about the work we do: The Bolton ICD (Implantable Cardiac Defibrillator) Support Group was founded in 2006 to support ICD patients and their families after a life-changing ICD implantation. An ICD is a small device, similar to a pacemaker, which monitors the heart rhythm and can deliver an electric shock to the heart if needed. In 2011 we widened our scope to raise funds to buy AEDs to improve locally the poor national survival rates in patients who suffer cardiac arrest. By raising awareness of the symptoms of cardiac arrest and training people how to deliver CPR (Cardiac Pulmonary Resuscitation), we aim to increase the survival chances of cardiac arrest victims. The Bolton ICD Support Group works in partnership with the Bolton Wanderers Community Trust and the North West Ambulance Service, in an initiative to place defibrillators in as many targeted public and community locations as possible. We host a variety of fundraising events throughout the year. Recent successes include a 60m abseil at the Trafford Centre, Fashion Shows, a Family Bowling Night and a Ladies Shopping & Pamper Day, to name but a few. Estimates suggest that around 12 young people die in the UK each week due to Sudden Cardiac Arrest. Following the death of Oliver King, aged 12, in Liverpool last year and the cardiac arrest of Bolton Wanderers’ Fabrice Muamba in 2012, the group made a decision to focus its efforts initially on schools and sports clubs in Bolton. Since December 2012 we have been able to purchase and donate eleven AEDs to schools or sports clubs in Bolton. We are also in the process of purchasing a further twelve AED’s which will mean we have been able to purchase twenty three in just over a year. Meanwhile, fundraising for new purchases continues. Our goal is to equip every school in Bolton with an AED and to train teachers and pupils the life saving skills to recognise the symptoms of cardiac arrest and instil the confidence for them to deliver immediate CPR. Several Members of our committee have trained as Heart Start Instructors so that we can deliver this life-saving training, free of charge. Working alongside me to make this event a huge success is our Chairman Tracey Garde, Matron, Royal Bolton Hospital, Sara Harris, Paramedic, NWAS, Mike Macias and Katie Wells, Bolton Wanderers’ Community Trust. If you’re willing to donate a raffle prize for our Charity Ball, please contact me either by telephone or email, the details of which are at the foot of this letter. Thank you for your consideration. Kind regards Tracey Wilkinson Fundraising Manager Telephone: 07858539393 Email: [email protected] boltonicdsupportgroup.wordpress Facebook: BoltonIcdSupportGroup Twitter: @BoltonICDGroup
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 17:07:51 +0000