A LIFESAVING campaign to get defibrillators out and about in the community has today received financial backing.Bosses at large businesses and public places today have no excuse not to take responsibility and pay for a defib as they have been offered £300 off by one of the campaign's backers.

A LIFESAVING campaign to get defibrillators out and about in the community has today received financial backing.

Bosses at large businesses and public places today have no excuse not to take responsibility and pay for a defib as they have been offered £300 off by one of the campaign's backers.

It is a huge boost for the Spend a Little, Save a Life campaign run by The Evening Star and the East of England Ambulance Service to promote getting defibs in all of Suffolk's busiest places.

Cardiac Science, a defib supplier in Sudbury, will offer lifesaving heart machines for £1,522, including VAT.

The defibs are the ones recommended by the East of England Ambulance Service

Martin Render, area manager for defibrillator supplier Cardiac Science, added his backing to the campaign launched last month.

He said: “If it saves just one more life, it will be worth it but this is not a question of one life, it could save hundreds.

“People think it will never happen to them but it could happen to any of us.”

A government scheme has already seen defibs installed at a handful of Suffolk locations including Ipswich railway station at the Tesco store at Martlesham.

Ipswich Borough Council is also looking into having them at its sports centres after the Star revealed that karate man Kelvin Abbott from Sprites Lane in the town nearly died after collapsing with a heart attack during a karate session at Maidenhall Sports Centre.

His life was saved when a paramedic arrived at the centre with a defib. Ipswich council leisure spokeswoman Judy Terry said the council would now look long and hard at introducing defibs to all council sports centres.

The Spend a Little Save a Life campaign wants to see them widespread across the county.

To help out, the Star is offering a £10 start-up kitty to the first 20 organisations who pledge to go ahead and buy a defib.

And the cardiac charity Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome UK is putting another £50 into the kitty.

The ambulance service will provide training.

n Has your life been saved by a defib? Write to Your Letters, Evening Star, 30 Lower Brook Street, Ipswich, IP4 1AN, or e-mail eveningstarletters@eveningstar.co.uk

SPEND a Little, Save a Life is an Evening Star campaign to get lifesaving heart equipment in all of Suffolk's busiest places.

The Star has teamed up with the East of England Ambulance Service to highlight the potential lifesaving importance of defibrillators.

Commonly known as defibs, the electric shock machines are relatively cheap, easy to use and are absolutely vital for cardiac arrest patients.

From big employers to public venues and bustling shops which see thousands cross their thresholds every day - all should be rallied to buy a defib.

The difference they can make is in no doubt as for every minute's delay in getting to a patient in cardiac arrest, the chances of survival reduce by ten per cent.

n To find out more about getting a defib, e-mail Jon Needle at jonathan.needle@eastamb.nhs.uk