Lifesaver charity backed

Oldham Rotary charity Heartstart has been chosen as Sainsbury's Charity of the Year. Pic shows in foreground left to right, pupils from Crompton Primary School, which has a Heartstart programme, Maizey Taylor, Lydia Burgess, Olivia Clifford. Standing behind are the Mayor Cllr. Fida Hussain and Mayoress Tanvir Hussain with president of Oldham Rotary John Ashworth, members of Heartstart, Sainsbury and the NHS.

THE Rotary Club of Oldham’s charity Heartstart Oldham is to be supported by supermarket Sainsbury’s.

The retail giant picked it as its charity of the year.

Heartstart Oldham runs free emergency lifeskills training sessions — including CPR — for local people, communities, schools and organisations.

In partnership with Oldham Rotary, Positive Steps and the North West Ambulance Service (NWAS), Sainbury’s is raising funds for Heartstart Oldham to help supply Oldham schools with lifesaving defibrillators.

Schools with existing Heartstart programmes will receive a defibrillator and training from the Oldham Heartstart volunteers and the NWAS.

Confident

Heartstart’s existing partnership with NWAS means that the debrilators can be purchased at a cheaper cost of £650.

The free training being offered for schools also means that more children and staff will be confident to use the device alongside CPR — providing them with lifesaving skills.

There are currently 34 Heartstart schools which could be among the first to benefit from fundraising at Sainsbury’s — see the display board in the Oldham store, in Union Street, to see the list of schools.

The supermarket giant launched their Charity of the Year appeal at the Oldham store, during which children from Crompton Primary School demonstrated the use of a defibrillator and CPR.

Fundraising events such as choir and dance demonstrations and bag-packing will be taking place in-store and any donations made will help Heartstart Oldham supply defibrillators and training to as many schools as possible.

For more information contact lisacollinge@positive-steps.org.uk.