A children’s football club has had a defibrillator purchased for them by Community Link Foundation.
Southport Athletic JFC, used to be known as Phoenix, but has been taken over by new people who want to start afresh and provide the best possible experience for the children.
They wanted to buy a defibrillator to ensure that the children involved with the club are well looked after at all times.
They have 140 children aged six to 16 registered to play next season and they aim to give all children a chance to play, regardless of ability.
Paul Mullan, joint secretary of the new club, said: “We really want to ensure that all the children who come to our club are as safe as possible, and the defibrillator means that should the worst case happen, we have the correct equipment to hand. We hope that having it easily accessible will give parents peace of mind.
“Now that we have had our pitches allocated to us we will be looking at having it stored locally so that the wider community can access it if required.
“The support the Community Link Foundation has given us along with all our generous sponsors has been amazing especially during the ongoing pandemic.”
The club has already done a number of fundraising events after being left with no money from the previous club. Fundraising events include Chairman Alan Mccombe getting a Mohawk haircut, aged 62, Paul Mullan and Ben Minto have done a sponsored bike ride, Peter Clarke has had his legs waxed and Martyn Robertson completed a 105 mile run over seven days.
Enda Rylands, chairman of Community Link Foundation, said: “The club is doing great work in the community to keep the club going and we wanted to do what we could to help with that.
“Having defibrillators on hand can really make a difference in saving lives, should the worst happen, so we are pleased to be able to provide one for the club and we wish Southport Athletic JFC all the best for their first season.”
If you would like more information about Southport Athletic JFC go to www.southportathletic.co.uk or search for them on Facebook.