A CAMPAIGNER has donated lifesaving equipment and training to a centre for people with disabilities in memory of his wife.

Karl Lansley, from Eastwood, arranged for the defibrillator and training sessions for Badgers Den, a centre for disabled people in Rochford.

It is the fourth piece of equipment donated in memory of Carli, who died of heart condition Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndrome in June 2017, aged 36.

Mr Lansley, 49, who set up charity Carli Lansley Foundation, said it is a pleasure to hand over the equipment.

He said: “We also arranged for children in the area to design posters to be handed out to businesses about the donation.

“It’s nice to work with children in the community and the day centre.

“We’ve donated four defibrillators in the borough now and we work to offer free heart screenings for young people and awareness of the condition.”

Sudden Arrhythmia Death Syndromes are genetic heart conditions that can cause sudden death in young, apparently healthy, people.

Jodie Sharp, 35, manager of Badgers Den, thanked Mr Lansley for the support.

She said: “We are absolutely thrilled to receive the lifesaving equipment and training sessions.

“It gives us comfort we are helping making people safer.”

Defibrillators work to restore the heart rhythm if a person goes into cardiac arrest and the earlier a defibrillator is used the better the chance is of survival.

The defibrillator at Badgers Den is easy to use, providing voice prompts to the rescuer.

Charity SADS UK is also making more community public access defibrillators available.

Anne Jolly MBE, founder of SADS UK, the Ashley Jolly SAD Trust, said: ‘‘SADS UK is pleased to assist the Carli Lansley Foundation by providing defibrillators in the community to save lives in memory of Carli Lansley.

“It’s good to know that Badgers Den now has a defibrillator on its premises should a cardiac arrest emergency take place.”

She said using CPR alone provides a five per cent chance of survival but using the defibrillator as well increases the chance of survival to over 50 per cent.

She added: “This is why SADS and its members are so passionate about putting lifesaving equipment in place.”