SPAR in Northern Ireland has donated a new, potentially life-saving device to Air Ambulance NI to mark Air Ambulance Week 2021. The Automated External Defibrillator (AED) has been donated by SPAR Northern Ireland partner Henderson Group’s Bronagh Luke and Mark Baillie of MKB Medical, who supplies the devices. Similar devices can also be found outside SPAR and EUROSPAR branded stores across Northern Ireland, available 24/7 for the local community.

Glenn O’Rorke, Operational Lead Paramedic with the Helicopter Emergency Medical Service (HEMS), received the device on behalf of Air Ambulance NI. 

“Henderson Group has done a fantastic job extending the number of defibrillators throughout Northern Ireland. We are very pleased to now have one at our airbase. We hope that it is never needed, but it could help save a life”, he said.

Supporting life-saving work

Air Ambulance Week is the only week in the year dedicated to raising awareness and funds for the life-saving work of the UK’s air ambulance charities. It takes place from 6 – 12 September, with Air Ambulance NI organising a series of initiatives. 

Bronagh commented, “Air Ambulance NI needs to raise £2 million each year to maintain the vital services it provides in Northern Ireland. These include providing essential, life-saving devices such as this AED. Recently, we have called upon retailers with devices already registered on the NI Ambulance Service network to register them on the British Heart Foundation’s new National Defibrillator Network, The Circuit. This will enable even faster response times and more lives saved.”

Air Ambulance NI’s new device will reside outside the organisation’s headquarters on Halftown Road in Lisburn. The device will also be registered to The Circuit, and available 24/7 should it be needed locally.

“We share a lot in common with the Heart of the Community initiative”, Glenn O’Rorke added. “We aim to save lives and ensure the local community have pre-hospital critical care, should it ever be needed. We’re so grateful to all at Henderson Group, SPAR Northern Ireland, and MKB Medical for helping us offer more of these services locally.”

Source: SPAR UK

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About SPAR UK

The UK became a SPAR member in 1956 when SPAR International granted the SPAR licence to a group of independent wholesalers. There are now five regional partners in the UK. A central office in London provides national marketing and buying services for the group.

SPAR has led the highly competitive convenience market in the UK for many years. Always innovative, the five regional partners have continued to grow the brand. SPAR UK comprises independently owned licensed retailers and company-owned stores. These include forecourts, airports, train stations, city centres, and local neighbourhood stores.