FA partnership means grassroots clubs can purchase the award-winning iPAD SP1 defibrillator at a special price

The Heart Safe Clubs initiative from The FA aims to support grassroots football clubs in England in purchasing life-saving defibrillators by securing them a special price through WEL Medical, its strategic supply partner.

Clubs can now purchase life-saving iPAD SP1 defibrillators for £750+VAT (usual cost £1,325+VAT). The IPAD SP1 is a nominated unit of the British Heart Foundation and is deployed by the NHS Ambulance service.

A cardiac arrest is when a person’s heart stops pumping blood around their body and to their brain. There are around 30,000 out of hospital cardiac arrests in England every year and for every minute lost without CPR and defibrillation, a person’s chance of survival decreases by around 10 percent.

Research shows that over 90% of sudden cardiac arrests in young athletes happen either during or immediately after exercise.

A defibrillator is an automatic device that can be used to shock the heart back into a normal rhythm during cardiac arrest. By performing CPR and using a defibrillator until an ambulance arrives, you can help double the person’s chance of survival.

Help Make Your Club Heart Safe

The iPAD SP1 defibrillator is portable, it weighs just 2.4kg (including the battery pack and pads) and comes in a robust, high visibility carry case.

All grassroots clubs in England can apply for a defibrillator via the footballdefibs.org website. WEL Medical will require the club name, affiliation number, name of County FA, and the name/position of the person ordering the AED.

As part of the FA exclusive package, clubs will also be supported by FA approved and awarding winning training videos and assets as well as support from WEL Medical Field team. Clubs will also have the opportunity to purchase additional items at an FA negotiated reduced price.

Plus don't forget if anyone at your club wants to get themselves better prepared to deal with a case of a Sudden Cardiac Arrest, this free online learning module from The FA is designed to help you recognise SCA and know how to respond appropriately.

ORDER YOUR DEFIBRILLATOR TODAY

Other Sources of Funding 

We understand that even with the discount outlined above, this still represents a significant outlay for many clubs. While specific fundraising for an AED may well get results, another option would be to speak to your Local Councillor as they often have budgets that they can use to support community projects in their areas.

In addition there are also charities and other organisations that can help provide AEDs, such as the Justin Edinburgh 3 Foundation or AED Donate in order that communities can benefit from this life-saving equipment.