Community Activities
Children taking part in a popular weekly run in County Durham will have the back-up of a special child-sized defibrillator, thanks to local business Walker & Morrell Funeral Directors.
The Riverside junior parkrun appealed for donations to replace their borrowed adult defibrillator and Funeral Director Martin Morrell stepped up to cover the cost.
Martin said: “Running can be a strenuous activity for children and when many of them gather to take part in exercise, it’s only right they have the correct first aid equipment.
“Adult defibrillators must be applied differently to children under eight years’ old, which can cause confusion and increase the risk of errors.”
Martin paid £750 for the defibrillator, which replaces the one borrowed from the adult Riverside parkrun.
The Riverside junior parkrun sees over 100 children and parents run 2 km across Riverside Park in Chester-Le-Street every Sunday morning, often including Martin and his family.
Martin said: “My wife and I regularly take our kids and because it’s run by volunteers it’s all self-funded.
“We knew if we didn’t step in, getting a new defibrillator wouldn’t be easy for the organisation.”