Olympic archer targets #heartsafe15 campaign
Olympic archer Alison Williamson has become the latest in a series of high-profile public figures to back the Express & Star's campaign to fundraise for defibrillators in Wolverhampton.
The 43-year-old, who used to live in Tettenhall, said the machines were easy to use and could help save a lives.
She said: "I was on a first aid course and was shown how to use a defibrillator and couldn't believe how easy it was.
"There seems to be a lot of misconceptions about them and that they can only be used by trained people or doctors.
"It is automated, talks you through the process and doesn't let you move on to another step until you have done the previous one properly.
"The key thing is not to be frightened, take it off the wall and use it."
Ms Williamson, who won Bronze in Athens and competed at six Olympic Games, is now a teacher at Marshlands School in Stafford.
She is a qualified first aider and thinks more people should learn life-saving skills.
She said: "The reason I am backing the Express & Star #heartsafe15 campaign is because if there isn't a defibrillator on the wall, then action can't be taken immediately to perhaps save someone's life.
"By donating you can make a difference and it may even be your own life that is saved.
"Anybody can suffer a cardiac arrest, so being young and fit is not an excuse to think this will not benefit you."
Using defibrillators in the first few minutes of an arrest means the chances of resuscitation can increase by 70 per cent. With 100,000 people dying from sudden cardiac arrest in Britain every year, the need to act is great. We have teamed up with defibrillator fundraisers AEDdonate to launch our campaign – which is backed by West Midlands Ambulance Service and Wolverhampton council.
On Friday, our partners AEDdonate are encouraging businesses to take part in Wear Something Crazy Day.
Businesses or groups wanting to get involved and wanting further details can call AEDdonate on 01785 472 224.
You can also give by text message by texting 'AEDW50' to 70070 followed by how much you want to donate. Alternatively, you can make an online donation at by going to www.crowdfunder.co.uk/wolverhampton-aed-campaign. We are also encouraging people to engage in the campaign by tweeting us with the hashtag #heartsafe15.
