Heart charity launches appeal

Welsh Hearts raises funds for public defibrillators and presses for better accessibility and more public support to save Welsh lives

Welsh Hearts (Calonnau Cymru) has launched a new appeal for funds to drive up the number of public defibrillators in Cardiff.

The heart charity which is also responsible for Cardiff’s upcoming annual Santa Dash, hopes to put a hundred new public access defibrillators in the city’s streets and buildings to improve chances of survival for victims of heart attacks.

Cardiff has until recently had a severe lack of defibrillators available at all hours, with the first 24 hour defibrillator being installed at the Capitol Shopping Centre only this year.

“With lots of places, people aren’t in a position to put it on the outside wall,” charity director Sharon Owen told me. “Because the landlord won’t allow them to, or it’s at risk of being stolen.”

“So they have one inside, and that’s very well from 8am to 6pm, but it’s after those hours that we have to make sure that these defibrillators are publicly accessible.”

According to Welsh Government statistics, cardiovascular diseases cause 9,000 deaths in Wales each year, or an average of 25 each day, making it the leading cause of death in the country.

However despite this, the rate has declined over the past twenty years, with a 68% drop in the number of deaths, aided by better awareness, treatment, and the work of charities such as Welsh Hearts.

The charity is keen to encourage more businesses to apply for a defibrillator, with one public-use defibrillator currently available to any Cardiff-based organisation for free.

“We’ve have a defibrillator and a cabinet to be had by somebody if they only apply to us,” explained Sharon.

“We need more companies to realise that it’s the most important and valuable piece of their first aid kit that they’re ever going to have.

“We’re happy to go in and do the free CPR training too.”