The fourth annual charity bike ride in support of the Community Heartbeat Trust organised by BCF raised funds and donated paints to transform unused phone boxes into life-saving defibrillation stations.
The British Coatings Federation (BCF) held its fourth annual charity cycle ride in support of the Community Heartbeat Trust (CHT), starting from its headquarters in Coventry and travelling through the local Warwickshire countryside. The initiative contributed more than £110,000 through fundraising and paint donations from members, who turned more than 800 unused red phone boxes into life-saving defibrillation stations through the Minutes Matter campaign.
“I am extremely proud of the work we do with the Community Heartbeat Charity, after over a decade of partnership through the Minutes Matter campaign. This has given over 800 communities across the UK access to a potentially life-saving defibrillator, as well as giving a new lease of life to iconic red phone boxes found in most villages. I want to thank our riders for taking part in our Charity Cycle and our members for their kind and generous contributions,” has commented Tom Bowtell, CEO of BCF.
The Community Heartbeat Trust reuses thousands of decommissioned and unused red phone boxes to preserve the lives of more than 60,000 people, which is half of those who suffer cardiac arrest each year. In fact, for every minute that a person in cardiac arrest does not receive CPR or assistance from a defibrillator, their chance of survival decreases by 10% - which is why the UK Resuscitation Council suggests that a defibrillator should be no more than five minutes away from where medical treatment is required.
“Once again, the Community Heartbeat Trust charity (CHT) is immensely grateful to BCF for their fundraising efforts supporting CHT. In past years we have used these funds to provide free training courses to the public to help increase awareness of Cardiac Arrest and how this should be treated. Many thousands have attended the courses sponsored by BCF and their members, and a very big thank you for all your support,” has added Martin Fagan, National Secretary of the CHT. “Cardiac Arrest is sudden and potentially life-threatening. Its survival is through the implementation of a story called the Chain of Survival. Five stages you go through to save a life. Recognise help is needed, call 999, start chest compressions, use a defibrillator and send to hospital. Education is needed to understand each stage and why it is important to link these together. It’s not just about a defibrillator. Your funds will help train more people, and really make a difference.”
The BCF would like to thank everyone who has taken part in this year’s Charity Cycle, with a special thanks to all the sponsors: AkzoNobel, BioCote, Cogent Skills, Dacrylate Paints, INX International UK, Merck Group, Tronox and UPOL, whose support of BCF’s Charity Cycle Ride is invaluable.