Doubling up on life-saving duties!

Evo-Stik Northern Premier League Marine have taken delivery of not one but two life-saving defibrillators thanks to a fundraising fan and a Liverpool-based charity.

Cycling-mad supporter David Thompson, whose children attend weekly coaching sessions at the Arriva Stadium, recently rode around the Isle of Man to raise funds for the defibrillator which was provided by The Oliver King Foundation, set up in the name of Oliver King, a 12-year-old who sadly passed away to Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS) in 2011.

The foundation raises awareness of the condition which commonly affects people aged between 12 and 35 years of age. Apart from staff at the Premier Division's Mariners, pictured, the charity has already provided the life-saving equipment and training to a number of schools and organisations around the country.

Marine's Club Secretary Richard Cross said: "The Oliver King Foundation is such an important charity who are campaigning for defibrillators to be located in all public areas by 2017. Comprehensive training and demonstrations were carried out to 10 of our volunteers who were able to successfully use the device which could help save a life in the future."

He added: "We are indebted to David Thompson who financed this important scheme to ensure that a second defibrillator was available on the premises and to Mark King and his team at the Foundation."

The Mariners' second defibrillator was obtained through the Evo-Stik Northern Premier League and the Football Association’s partnership with the British Heart Foundation. In March 2012, the FA and BHA launched their £1.2m Defibrillator Fund, a unique partnership to underwrite two thirds of the equipment's cost.

The scheme has been taken up by more than half the Evo-Stik NPL’s clubs who are now equipped to save lives in their own communities. The Evo-Stik NPL launched its own initiative to encourage member clubs to purchase defibrillators before the start of last season and, along with others in the Pyramid and Football Alliance, successfully lobbied the FA for direct action.

Instead of paying around £1000 for a 'defib', clubs have paid just £318, knocking two thirds off the price. More than 900 clubs at Steps 1-6 were eligible and the scheme proved so popular that it was extended last year following its original launch.

Awareness around sudden cardiac arrests was heightened when former England Under-21 star Fabrice Muamba suffered a cardiac arrest in the Tottenham Hotspur versus Bolton Wanderers FA Cup tie in March 2012. Muamba's story is even more remarkable as only 1 in 5 people normally survive a witnessed, out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in the UK.

Picture shows some of the club volunteers recently trained through the Oliver King Foundation. Left to right: Peter McCormack (Safety Officer), Mark King, Neil Getty (Children’s Coach), Sandra Bibby (Clubrooms Manageress), Richard Cross (Club Secretary), Wendy Brooks (Safety Steward), Steven Thompson (Children’s Coach) & Paul Leary (Chairman).

For more information on the charity visit www.theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk and on the BHA’s go to www.bhf.org.uk/football.