Southport Saviours teams up with SPAR to improve defibrillator access

Lifesaving defibrillators have been installed at two Southport SPAR stores, and fundraising has started for a further two in the area.

SPAR Roe Lane and SPAR Cambridge Road now have the defibrillators installed after collaborative work between local charity Southport Saviours and James Hall & Co. Ltd, owner of the stores. The defibrillators have been installed on the exterior walls of the respective store premises making the equipment accessible 24-hours-a-day in case of an emergency.

Two further SPAR stores in the area that are in James Hall & Co. Ltd’s G&E Murgatroyd company stores division have also been earmarked for installations – SPAR High Park in Southport and SPAR Harington Road in Formby.

Fundraising has now begun in-store towards the cost of fitting the defibrillators, with James Hall & Co. Ltd contributing to the cost of the installations.

Mark Layton, Area Manager at James Hall & Co. Ltd, said, “We are very pleased to support the Southport Saviours and the charity’s ambition of increasing the number of defibrillators locally that are accessible at all hours of the day.

“Given the role that our SPAR stores play in the community, and the geographical spread of them within Southport and Formby, we are delighted to make four of our stores available as access points for these lifesaving kits.”

Richard Moore, Chairman of the Southport Saviours, said: “We are thrilled to have two defibrillators installed at the SPAR stores at Roe Lane and Cambridge Road. The defibrillators are easily identifiable in their yellow cases, and they are at well-known locations in Southport.

“Accessing defibrillators 24-hours-a-day is hugely important and to have the pledge from James Hall for two more is fantastic news. With a combination of customer fundraising and a contribution from the company for installations at SPAR High Park and SPAR Harington Road, we are confident we can get them up and running soon.”

James Hall & Co. Ltd is a fifth-generation family business which serves a network of independent SPAR retailers and company-owned SPAR stores across Northern England six days a week from its base at Bowland View in Preston.