Date posted: 24th Apr 2023
Clive Owen LLP has invested in potentially life-saving defibrillators at its offices in Darlington, Durham and Middlesbrough.
More than 20 staff will be trained in the use of the defibrillators, and CPR.
Every year in the UK, there are more than 30,000 out-of-hospital cardiac arrests, however fewer than one in 10 people survive. This is partly because public-access defibrillators are used in less than 10 per cent of out-of-hospital cardiac arrests.
A survey of more than 4,000 adults, which was carried out for the British Heart Foundation by YouGov, shows that a third of people have never learned CPR. Of those, almost half said it was because they didn’t know where to learn, while nearly a quarter said they didn’t have the confidence to learn.
Clive Owen LLP is committed to workplace wellbeing and has already invested in mental health training for its management team and trained an additional seven mental health first aiders to support staff if necessary. It also offers flexible working to support work life balance, diversity, equality and inclusivity.
Gary Ellis, managing partner at Clive Owen LLP said: “We decided to act when we became aware of the importance of having access to this potentially life-saving equipment and training, not just for ourselves but for the local community around our offices. It’s also a transferrable skill that our team can deploy in an emergency wherever defibrillators are placed.
“I am delighted that so many people have come forward to volunteer for the training. It shows great commitment to learning skills that are incredibly important.”
Claudine Norden, tax manager at Durham said: “I wanted to undertake this training because it gives me the ability to help someone in an emergency situation. It’s a skill that will be available to me whenever I’m in a position to help someone and a defibrillator is available. I’m delighted that the firm has offered us the opportunity to learn what to do in an emergency and how to use this vital piece of equipment. I also hope it encourages other businesses to do the same.”
