A COMMUNITY cricket club has installed a new defibrillator with the support of a local heart charity JHMT.

Grace Dieu Cricket Club has funded the new defibrillator thanks to generous donations from the club's players and their families over the past year.

Located prominently on the outside of the club house, it is available 24/7 for anyone who should ever needs it in an emergency. Registered with East Midlands Ambulance Service, it enables the emergency call handler to initiate its use and help any available bystander follow the simple instructions and become a potential life saver.

The external cabinet which will keep the defibrillator safe has been donated by the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT), which works with sports clubs and community groups to raise awareness of sudden heart deaths, particularly in young people. The JHMT also supported the club by providing advice and guidance on procuring an AED, fundraising with training soon to follow.

Colin Pratt, Chairman of Grace Dieu C.C. said "The decision for the club to go ahead and install a defibrillator was due to one of the player's family member was a friend of Joe Humphries. Emily Taylor put forward the idea and everyone at the club got behind it immediately. As there is more publicity surrounding sudden death and cardiac arrest, especially in sport it also highlighted the need for Grace Dieu C.C to provide a heartsafe environment off and off the field of play safety for our all players, families, volunteers, visiting teams and local community. "

Thirty club members including adults and young people at Grace Dieu are set to take part in the Trust's Joe's Mini Heartstart for Sports Clubs CPR & AED training programme which aims to ensure sports club members, including players, officials and volunteers, know how to use a defibrillator and can perform CPR in an emergency.

Grace Dieu Park Cricket Club was originally founded in 1863 and has been running ever since – www.gracedieupark.play-cricket.com/home The club are a family oriented club that has seen generations of families move through the club, playing, teaching and supporting. The club has both first and second teams including a large junior set up. There are roughly 30 x senior players and 40 x juniors along with their parents and families.

Emily Taylor, Grace Dieu C.C. said "I am beyond thrilled to be able to say we have a public access defibrillator now installed and live at Grace Dieu. It means a lot to me personally as a friend of Joe, that although he may not be here with us, his legacy lives on. I am proud that I can support the Trust in raising awareness and making sure everyone within the club knows what JHMT do and why. We are now a Heartsafe club, and the hope is that the defibrillator will never need to be used, but if it does we know as a club we have the potential to save a life."

Steve Humphries from the JHMT said: " It so encouraging to see yet another Leicestershire community cricket club rising to the challenge to create a heartsafe environment for everyone who attend the club's home ground for training and matches. Along with the additional benefits of being available 24/7 to the surrounding community. A huge well done to Emily, Colin and all club members who have been working so hard in such a short space of time to have everything in place for the new cricket season.

"Sudden cardiac arrest can strike anyone, anywhere, anytime and of any age, including seemingly fit and healthy young people. It's vitally important everyone learns CPR and knows how to use a defibrillator – and that defibrillators are readily available on or off the field of play in case of a cardiac emergency. Being prepared is key."

The JHMT is a local charity which was set up in memory of Leicester teenager Joe Humphries, who in October 2012 collapsed and died while out jogging near his family home in Rothley. Joe was a victim of sudden arrhythmic death syndrome (SADS) – a group of lethal heart diseases which can cause sudden cardiac death in young people.

As well as providing free CPR and defibrillator training, the JHMT works hard to raise awareness of sudden heart deaths, helps to provide community defibrillators and runs Inspire, a local grants scheme for inspirational young people in the city and county.

To find out more about the work of the Trust, apply for training and support, or to help out with the charity's work, visit the website at www.jhmt.org.uk

You can also follow the Trust on Facebook at facebook.com/JHMTorguk and Twitter @JHMTorguk.