An FA Charter Standard football club on Merseyside has become the first of its kind in the country to provide a potentially life-saving defibrillator to every single one of its teams.

Seneley & Garswood Football Club, affiliated to Liverpool County FA, is the first junior football club in the United Kingdom to offer the provision to each of its teams, which will now be available pitch-side at every Seneley & Garswood match and on hand to aid players of both teams, in addition to spectators.

At an evening event held at Garswood Labour Club, hosted by Seneley & Garswood Football Club on Wednesday 30 January, Mark King, of the Oliver King Foundation, personally presented the life-saving equipment to representatives of the club’s teams. 

The Oliver King Foundation was established in 2011 following the sudden tragic passing of 12-year-old Oliver King and works to raise awareness of Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS), in addition to campaigning for life-saving defibrillators to be installed in schools and public buildings. The Foundation also campaigns for ECG screenings to be accessible for over-12s.  

As a result of months of fundraising, Seneley & Garswood Football Club raised £8,000 to enable every team to have a defibrillator available at training and matches.

Mark King, of the Oliver King Foundation, said: “This is such a fantastic achievement by the club, who I’ve known and worked with for a number of years now. Providing a defibrillator for every team at every pitch is unprecedented and, to my knowledge, is the first club to have done so.”

Gordon Johnson, Designated Safeguarding Officer with Liverpool County FA, added: “Seneley & Garswood Football Club is one of our many FA-accredited Charter Standard clubs who continue to raise the bar in providing safe, fun and enjoyable surroundings for their children to participate in football.

“Their provision of a defibrillator to every team in the club is unprecedented and deserves recognition. It shows the true commitment of Club Secretary, Tom Nugent, and the fantastic team of volunteers he has around him running the football club.”

For more information on the Oliver King Foundation, please visit www.theoliverkingfoundation.co.uk