A BRADFORD pub landlord and one of his customers are taking part in a football-themed challenge this evening to raise funds to get a defibrillator in their village.
Lloyd Spencer and Craig Burkinshaw will be swapping allegiances for one night only at The Crown, on Huddersfield Road, as they wear Bradford City and Leeds United shirts.
Landlord Lloyd is a huge fan of the Bantams while Craig much prefers West Yorkshire rivals, Leeds.
The pair hope to raise £1,500 so a defibrillator can be put up outside the Wyke pub.
Craig said: "We have been raising funds to try and get a publicly accessible defibrillator on the wall outside.
"It was dragging on a bit so on Monday night we decided to do something.
"He is a staunch Bradford City supporter and I am a proper Leeds United fan.
"We said if we could raise £100 each, he would wear the Leeds shirt and I would wear the City shirt on Saturday night.
"There were a few other guys in there on Monday who said they would donate. There is great community spirit in Wyke.
"It has just taken off and we are £80 short of raising enough to get the defibrillator."
Craig is keen to push how important the piece of life-saving equipment can be.
He recalls an experience which to led him make sure his place of work installed one.
Craig added: "I am a first aider and I could not save my neighbour's life a couple of years ago.
"I did CPR on him and it did not work. As it happened, nothing would have worked, they told me afterwards.
"I know people who have used them and I successfully campaigned to get one at my workplace.
"There is not one regularly available in Wyke currently. It is an important thing to have."
Last month, the Government said a new £1m fund could help install around 1,000 more defibrillators across England.
It is part of efforts to support the treatment and prevention of cardiovascular disease.
Health Secretary Steve Barclay said: “I’ve heard extraordinary stories of ordinary people being kept alive thanks to the swift use of a defibrillator on the football pitch, at the gym or in their local community.
“We must make sure these life-saving devices are more accessible, with our new £1 million fund expected to place around 1,000 new defibrillators in communities across England.”
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