Defibrillator fitted outside Harborough gym

A new defibrillator has been fitted at a Market Harborough gym after staff raised £2,000 to buy the life-saving device.

The critical piece of medical equipment has been installed on the outside of the Snap Fitness centre on the town’s Rockingham Road.

Defibrillators are used to give a high energy electric shock to the heart of a person suffering cardiac arrest.

General manager Tom Claffey, 28, said: “We are proud and delighted to set up the defibrillator here at our gym.

“It’s an absolutely crucial device that will save people’s lives.

“And they have been in the news a lot since Danish footballer Christian Eriksen was saved by medics using one after he collapsed playing in the Euros in the summer,” said Tom.

“We came up with the idea in 2018.

“But it’s taken us a fair while to raise all the money after we were hit by the long Covid pandemic.

“We have done a whole range of things to generate the cash to fund it.

“One of our members donated a load of Red Bull drinks, which we sold off.

“We’ve had a collecting bucket at our front desk and we held a really successful raffle in August,” said Tom, who said the gym has been there since 2013.

“That brought in about £500 and we’ve managed to top the £2,000 target figure.

“We have over 1,000 members here and some of them are in their 80s.

“The new defibrillator could be vital as the heart rates of people working out hard here go up, increasing their risk of suddenly falling ill.

“But this brilliant device is also here for the general public,” stressed Tom, who helps lead a six-strong team.

“The nearest one to us is at the Tesco’s roundabout, which is at least a 10-minute walk away.

“So we are thrilled that we have been able to put up this defibrillator here at our gym.”