Lanes wins Heart Safe Award for helping to protect lives

Lanes Group plc has won a Heart Safe Award in recognition of its commitment to fund the provision of defibrillators in its workplaces and schools.

The UK’s largest independent drainage specialist has won the Construction Company category in the national awards, organised for the 6^th year by the Salford-based charity Hand on Heart.

Under its Saving Lives is Close to Our Heart programme, Lanes is funding automated external defibrillators (AED), and life-saving training, for its offices and depots across the UK, and for nearby schools.

Group Health, Safety, Quality, and Environment Manager Paul McParland received the award at a ceremony held at the Hilton Manchester Hotel.

He said: “It was a wonderful surprise to win a Heart Safe Award. Doing so gives us another way to raise awareness about the benefits of making defibrillators available in the workplace and the community.

“The wellbeing of our staff is of great concern to us, and we take our responsibility to help people in the wider community very seriously. AEDs have already saved thousands of lives in the UK. That’s why we’re committed to helping make more of them available.”

Hand on Heart has a particular focus on helping protect young people from sudden cardiac arrest. An estimated 12 people aged under the age of 35 die in the UK from the condition every week. On average, five of those deaths happen in schools.

So far, Lanes has installed defibrillators at depots and service sites in Eccles, Greater Manchester, Rainham, East London, Leeds, Glasgow, and Stafford, Slough, West London and Birmingham.

A further seven defibrillators have been provided at seven work sites operated by Lanes Utilities, the wastewater network services maintenance partner for Thames Water.

Defibrillators have also been provided for five schools, in Rainham, Leeds, Manchester, Slough, and Solihull. The support package, worth £3,000 at each school, includes training for selected staff to use the defibrillators, and for up to 30 pupils to receive basic life-saving training.

Lesley West, Headteacher at one of the schools, Pudsey Primrose Hill Primary, in Leeds, said: “The defibrillator provides by Lanes gives us extra assurance that we are ready to do all we can to help should the worst happens. We can also make sure local people know the device is available, and trained staff are ready to help save a life.”