PONTYPOOL, South Wales, 3rd September 2018 - Pontypool RFC has demonstrated its commitment to maintaining the highest professional standards both on-and-off the field, after the club’s staff and volunteers participated in a CPR and defibrillator training session at Pontypool Park last week.
The session was delivered by Welsh Hearts and provided Pooler’s staff and volunteers with further insight into how to react if an adult or child were to suffer a suspected heart attack or cardiac arrest.
The continued training follows on from Pooler’s purchase of a defibrillator in December 2014, which was made possible thanks to a £700 donation made by the family of lifelong supporter, David Williams, who tragically passed away in 2013.
Pooler remain one of a relatively small band of clubs in Wales to own a defibrillator, with just 36 clubs having access to the potentially life-saving equipment.
Pontypool RFC’s medical director, Angus Robertson, is keen that the club continues to play an active role in promoting player and spectator health and welfare at all times, both on-and-off the field at Pontypool Park.
"It's important that as a club, we have a wider responsibility to the community as well as to the team,” said Robertson. “The safety of our players is absolutely paramount, but it's important that the people that come to watch the game, whether it be our own fans or fans from other clubs, feel that they're in a safe environment to enjoy the game.
"We are committed to continuously training as many of our staff as possible to provide emergency care, whether that be in the case of a player or a member of the public falling ill and giving them immediate care that could be life-saving.
"We have spent the last few years successfully growing our medical operation at the club and we have a quality team in place who are young, well-qualified and are keen to learn. Working alongside Welsh Hearts as we have done over the last three years will allow us to grow even further.”
Donna Walker, one of the two CPR and Defibrillator trainers who led the evening, would like to see the training become compulsory in every walk of life, not just in sport.
"It's brilliant that Pontypool RFC continue to show their commitment to this initiative and it also helps to raise awareness of the work we are doing," said Walker. "We're delighted that almost 43,000 people have been trained in CPR and 1,256 defibrillators have been placed in Wales, but it could and should be more.
"The Welsh Rugby Union have really stepped up with Welsh Hearts and made us one of their charities. They are recognising on a national level that this sort of training is absolutely imperative.
"We'd love CPR and defibrillator training to be compulsory, as we are passionate about people and passionate that people learn life skills.
"The more that people get involved in this training, the more that will help them realise that it is not as scary as they think it is and that doing something in these situations is much better than doing nothing.”
To learn more about the work being performed by Welsh Hearts, please visit → http://welshhearts.org/
