Tarmac’s Aberthaw Cement Plant has supported Barry Town Veterans FC with the donation of a pitch side defibrillator.
Pitch side defibrillators are an essential addition to sports facilities, as if used within the first minute of a cardiac arrest occurring, the survival rate for victims can be as high as 90 per cent. For every minute that defibrillation is delayed, the chance of survival decreases by 10 per cent.
Alun Huish, Barry Veterans FC secretary, said: “Our main objective is to enable individuals to participate in a team sport, albeit for a more ‘mature’ age group, and in doing so improve health and fitness levels and, more specifically, address obesity, coronary heart disease and the effects of solitude and isolation.
“However, this can come at a price, with players in this age-group being more susceptible to cardio-vascular conditions, hence my request for our club to be considered for a mobile defibrillator unit.
“On behalf of Barry Town Veterans FC, I would like to thank Tarmac for its efforts in securing the defibrillator for us. We hope we will never need to use the equipment, but it is comforting to know that it will be available for our fixtures for our over 40s right up to our over 65s.”
Stuart Escott, plant manager at Tarmac’s Aberthaw Plant, said: “We were happy to provide the defibrillator for the club knowing that it really is an essential safety aid to have pitch side and could potentially save a player’s life.
“We have good community connections with Barry, with many of our colleagues living or coming from the area. We felt it was important to support a club that is providing a place for men over 40s, 50s and 60s to improve their fitness, mental health and to be part of a team.”
