Visitor attractions provided with lifesaving heart devices

Bridlington Spa and Sewerby Hall and Gardens are being presented with two heart defibrillators as part of the Start a Heart appeal run by the British Heart Foundation and Yorkshire Ambulance Service.

The cash for the life-saving machines was raised by the Inner Wheel Club Benevolent Fund of Bridlington, with residents and other organisations on the East Coast supporting the purchase of 52 defibrillators in total.

The Bridlington Inner Wheel Club’s president, Doreen Goodall, said: “From fundraising and bequest we are able to donate these defibrillators in memory of Rita Thomas, a long-serving and committed member of our club, who died last year of a heart attack.

“We are indeed fortunate for all the support Inner Wheel get from our members and the general public in Bridlington for which we thank them most sincerely. We especially requested that the defibrillators be placed in Bridlington at The Spa and Sewerby Hall as a tribute to them.”

The machines give the heart an electric shock in some cases of cardiac arrest when the heart stops pumping blood around the body.

East Riding Council Cabinet member for rural issues and cultural services, Coun Jane Evison, said: “When someone goes into cardiac arrest time is of the essence. But with these machines in place and the staff trained to use them, these popular venues can take all necessary action before handing over to the emergency services.”