Spencer Private Hospitals donates money to Margate parkrun UK

Date: 06/12/2016

Spencer Private Hospitals have donated £500 to their local community parkrun in Margate. The money donated will go to provide an Automated External Defibrillator (AED), providing assurance that life saving treatment is immediately available for all participants and volunteers involved in the free weekly 5k running events.

Leading the fundraising for the Margate parkrun initiative is Dr James Rosengarten, expert Cardiologist and Electrophysiologist at Spencer Private Hospitals. Explaining the importance of the donation, he said “parkrun UK  is a fantastic organisation hosting inclusive community participation running events. 100s of people take part, and whilst we know that these runs do wonders for health and wellbeing, people can become unwell. A cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops pumping blood around the body. When this is caused by an abnormal rhythm, prompt correction with an electric shock from a defibrillator can save lives.

Every minute that passes without treatment reduces the odds of survival by 7-10%. After 10 minutes without defibrillation, very few people survive. parkrun UK is passionate about providing simple and safe events and has recently pledged to have AEDs available at all their 5k events. This can only happen with support of sponsors like Spencer Private Hospitals that have a track record supporting the health and fitness of people in East Kent. My specialist training helps me understand the impact that cardiac arrest can have on a patient and their family, and I am delighted that the hospital has come on board to support this initiative locally.

David Osborne, Business Development Director at Spencer Private Hospitals has said “We are really pleased to help and support the parkrun as it benefits our local community and also promotes a holistic approach to health and wellbeing.”

For further information on how to get involved with Parkrun please go to https://www.parkrun.org.uk/