Calderstones backs defibrillator campaign

Calderstones School has backed a campaign to get defibrillators in to all schools.

The school has produced letters and posters which will be sent to David Cameron on behalf of the Oliver King Foundation. The charity is on a mission to make defibrillators in all public spaces and schools across the country compulsory.

Oliver King was a Liverpool schoolboy who sadly passed away in 2011, aged 12, from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome (SADS). Oliver’s parents set up the Oliver King Foundation to help raise awareness of the condition as it can be controlled and monitored if detected.

To mark the fifth anniversary of Oliver’s death, other Merseyside schools have also been taking part, including SFX College in Woolton. The foundation will use the entries to form part of its campaign for all public building to be legally required to contain a defibrillator.

Oliver’s dad Mark King visited Calderstones this week to collect pupils’ work and was really touched by the amount of entries they had produced.

Assistant head of Year 9, Lauren Edwards, says: “We were very keen to become involved with such an important and local charity as the Oliver King Foundation. The pupils were all extremely moved by Oliver’s story and worked in registration, PSHE and their own time to produce some fantastic posters and letters. I was so impressed with their engagement and it created some brilliant debates around school about the campaign.

“We wish the Oliver King Foundation all the best with their on-going work and hope that David Cameron listens to pupil voice!”