Leek Building Society has announced a partnership with AEDdonate to fund the installation of 100 defibrillators in local communities.
The announcement yesterday, Monday 17 July, revealed that the life-saving equipment will be installed across Staffordshire, Shropshire, Cheshire and Derbyshire in the 11 towns where Leek Building Society is represented.
They will be put in over a period of four years, and staff from local branches will be involved in identifying gaps in the current defibrillator network and earmarking potential locations for the new equipment.
Leek Building Society has previously funded 10 defibrillators for local towns, but Chief Executive Andrew Healy said the new “significant” investment was one of the biggest community initiatives the organisation has launched in its 160-year history.
He said: “Giving back to the community is absolutely core to our purpose in Leek Building Society.
“We were set up 160 years ago to support the local community and we’re doing that more and more today – through our foundation, through the various community organisations and charities we support, through our volunteering, through our sponsorships.
“And today we’re really delighted to join with AED to announce our plans to install 100 defibrillators across the midlands. What more of a difference to our local communities can we make than saving lives? Together we’ll be doing just this.”
Leek Building Society recently welcomed former Premier League footballer Fabrice Muamba – who suffered a cardiac arrest during a televised FA Cup match in 2012 – to its head office on Leek’s St Edward Street to share his story with staff.
Andrew added: “A defibrillator is one thing that, if it Is used quickly enough, can save a person’s life.
“This visit further reinforced the immense value that defibrillators can provide.”
According to the British Heart Foundation, there are around 7.6 million people living in the UK today with heart and circulatory diseases, resulting in more than 160,000 deaths each year. That is equivalent to one death in the UK every three minutes.
Community defibrillators are used to give an electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest. The quicker this is delivered, the better their chance of survival.
AEDdonate, based in Stone, will assist in the installation and maintenance of the devices.
Chief Executive Officer and Founder Jamie Richards said: “By installing 100 defibrillators across the Leek Building Society heartland, we will dramatically increase the chances of people having their lives saved by a community public access defibrillator.
“Leek Building Society have demonstrated exceptional leadership and generosity with this pledge. Their dedication to corporate social responsibility and communities is absolutely commendable and their decision to invest in community health and safety sets a shining example that others could follow.”
Leek Building Society, which was named best in Britain earlier this year and won Employer of the Year at the Staffordshire Chambers Business Awards 2023 last week, has donated over £100,000 to charities and community groups through its charitable foundation.
Its Staffordshire branches are in Cheadle, Hanley, Leek, Newcastle and Uttoxeter.
