Leading health cash plan provider Medicash is funding a new programme aimed at reducing the number of young people dying from heart attacks on Merseyside.
The Medicash Charitable Trust has donated £10,000 to Everton Football Club’s official charity, Everton in the Community. The cash will allow the organisation to deliver a three-year Healthy Hearts Programme which will focus on young people aged between 15 and 35. Every week in the UK, 12 young people die as a result of sudden cardiac arrest. A simple, non-invasive ten-minute test can identify a young person who might be at risk. The Healthy Hearts Programme aims to screen up to 300 young people and expects to identify up to 20 young people with an undiagnosed heart condition.
Michael Salla, director of health and sport at Everton Football Club said: “This generous donation from Medicash will help save lives, the statistics around sudden cardiac arrest speak for themselves. The money means we can now deliver a programme that will provide free testing to young people across the area and reduce the number of deaths from this tragic and silent killer.”
Paul Gambon, sales director of Medicash said: “We are pleased to be supporting the Healthy Hearts Programme. This is a really important initiative and is part of our wider commitment to help tackle the diagnosis and treatment of cardiac disease across the UK.”
The first screening event will take place at the home of the Blues on Saturday 12 November from 9am-3pm and will be open to Everton in the Community participants, Everton Free School pupils and the general public.
Medicash launched its CardiACT scheme in July 2015 with the Liverpool BID Company and North West Ambulance Service. The initial aim was to install defibrillators across the city centre, ensuring that individuals were never more than 2 minutes away from one of these life-saving devices.
Having achieved this aim the CardiACT scheme is being extended and Medicash are encouraging local businesses to come forward to purchase a defibrillator for their business or to team up with their neighbouring businesses to buy one on a shared basis. Through the scheme, businesses or community groups can purchase a heavily discounted defibrillator. Free training and support worth up to £500 is also included.
For more information on the CardiACT scheme email [email protected]
***Please note, due to the current pressure on the NHS and ambulance service, the inclusion of free training has temporarily been suspended***