Cransley Sailing Club installs defibrillator thanks to national charity

The club was supported by RALPHH to locate a defibrillator just outside its clubhouse and alongside a path which is popular with walkers and cyclists. The equipment is also now registered with both national and local databases.

Housed in an eye-catching weatherproof and secure case, the new addition to the club’s facilities was officially launched at an event attended by Richard Allen, Chairman of RALPHH, and the Mayor of Kettering, Cllr Emily Fedorowycz.

The occasion coincided with a Discover Sailing open day at the club (Saturday 29 May 2023) and included a demonstration on how to use a defibrillator for members and visitors.

Cransley is only the second sailing club in the country to benefit from a RALPHH grant for a defibrillator, with joint funding towards it raised by club members.

Thanking the charity, Cransley SC Commodore Sue Bull said: “A defibrillator is something you never want to use but you only need it once for it to be worthwhile and save a life.”

Volunteer-run Cransley SC is a family-friendly club and an RYA Recognised Training Centre offering courses for all ages. With an idyllic inland location and more than 250 members, activities include sailing, racing, youth sessions and paddleboarding. The reservoir is also used for sailing lessons for a local school and by Sea Cadets and canoeists.

In March 2023 another Northamptonshire club, Middle Nene SC, became the first sailing club in the country to be awarded a RALPHH defibrillator grant.

The work of RALPHH - the Robert Allen, Life Promotion & Healthy Hearts Trust - was originally started in memory of Robert Allen, a former National Schools’ Rowing Champion, who died unexpectedly aged 35 from an undiagnosed heart condition.

A key priority for RALPHH is to increase the number of defibrillators in sporting locations and the charity is keen to build partnerships with sailing clubs.

To find out more about activities at Cransley SC visit www.cransley.org.uk, or explore how you can get on the water at a club near you at www.rya.org.uk/start-boating