The Bishop Beveridge Club (BBC) is a community- based organisation in Barrow -upon- Soar and have recently taken steps to ensure their onsite defibrillator is accessible to the local community with the support of a local heart charity, The Joe Humphries Memorial Trust (JHMT).

This vital piece of lifesaving equipment is now located on the club's side wall to the main building in South Street and available to the surrounding community 24/7.

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 club are working closely with JHMT to provide members and volunteers with an opportunity to take part in the FREE Joe's Mini Heartstart for sports clubs and community organisations CPR & AED familiarisation training sessions which aims to ensure more people know how to use a defibrillator and can perform CPR in an emergency.

Ginnie Willcocks, BBC Club Chair said: "The Club is very pleased to have the defibrillator now in an accessible location and available 24/7 to the surrounding community in Barrow. We hope that we will never have to use it but good to have the reassurance that it is there in case of a cardiac emergency. It's also one of a growing number of defibrillators in various locations across our village.

" We are also truly grateful to the Joe Humphries Memorial Trust for the donation of an AED Cabinet along with key advice on identifying the best place to site the box, signage and resources including free training to follow for all club members".

Charles Poole from JHMT said: " 'A sudden cardiac arrest (SCA) can happen anywhere, any time, to anyone and any age, whether at home, at work, at leisure or playing sport. Immediate action, including recognising the signs of a SCA, contacting the Ambulance (999) Service, immediate CPR and prompt use of a Defibrillator saves lives, with survival rates increasing from less than 10% to 50% and more. The BBC and its members are to be congratulated for taking steps to contact JHMT, having recognised the importance of making their defibrillator accessible for the wider Barrow community should it be ever needed to be called upon in an emergency."

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 ( SADS), 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

PHOTO LINE UP, L TO R: Alan White (JHMT), John Fletcher, Angie Sharpe, Joyce Noon, Ginnie Willcocks, Jenny Cox, Lorraine Neale and Mike Neale, (members of the Bishop Beveridge Club - Barrow).