A not-for-profit housing and care provider is celebrating winning a regional award for its commitment to training staff in the use of life-saving equipment for the benefit of the Blacon community.

Fifteen members of staff at Avenue Services have been presented with a bronze CardiacSmart award from the North West Ambulance Service Trust after successfully completing defibrillator training with accredited trainer Lee Challinor, of Blacon Defibrillator Fund.

The team learnt about basic life saving support skills and how to operate a defibrillator during the training.

The CardiacSmart awards help to raise awareness of organisations and individuals who have dedicated their time to promoting the use of defibrillators within local communities across the North West.

Head of Avenue Services Paul Knight said “We are pleased to win this award. It’s testament to our staff training programme which ensures our team has the necessary skills to support the Blacon community. We would like to thank Lee Challinor for providing the training and trust that our strong partnership with the Blacon Defibrillator Fund will assist us to aim for the gold award in the future.”

Chief executive of North West Ambulance Service Trust Bob Williams said “We are delighted to congratulate Avenue Services on achieving this recognition. The awards celebrate their achievement and their dedication to raising awareness of heart health, life support and defibrillators.”