A Ramsbottom organisation which provides lifesaving defibrillators in and around the town has achieved success at the BBC Make a Difference Awards.

Charity Restart the Heart was nominated in the fundraising category of the awards and finished second overall at the finals which were held at The Lowry on September 6.

The charity was set up in 2021 after founder Sarah Jones saw Danish footballer Christian Eriksen suffer a cardiac arrest during the 2021 Euro Championships.

She went in search of defibrillators in Ramsbottom and found that although there were a few, not many people knew where to find the vital pieces of equipment.

However, she organised a few fundraising events to raise money to buy some more, and since then the charity has gone from strength to strength.

Read more: Fresh Farm Shop in Belmont opens today

One man who said he owes his life to the defibrillators is Ramsbottom resident David Bell.

He had been looking after his grandson one evening, and before going home decided to take the bins out but he collapsed.

Two policewomen who lived opposite came outside and immediately started CPR, and a young man who was passing accessed a defibrillator nearby.

That was said to be the crucial addition to the CPR that led to David surviving.

David, who made the nomination for the award, said: “The importance of a defibrillator just can’t be estimated.”

There are now 34 defibrillators in Ramsbottom, however fundraising is still required to keep up with the maintenance of them.

Read more: Bury Times Camera Club photos capture supermoon and partial eclipse

There is only seven per cent survivability without one, but if you get a defibrillator on someone within four minutes, that increases their chance of getting to hospital to 70 per cent.

Founder Sarah Jones said: “To get that phone call to say we had been nominated for the BBC Make a Difference Awards 2024 was surreal.

“Then to be told we had made it to the final four in the fundraising category was unbelievable.

“We didn’t win however Peter McCleave who did win deserved to after matching 23 people with stem cell matches.

“Everyone who was nominated regardless of category are truly amazing people they all deserved to win.”

Read more: Musical duo set to showcase talent at Bury Parish Church

Chair Andrew Luxton added: “I’m very humbled that Restart the Heart has been acknowledged in such a big way, in such a short time since the charity has been formed.

“This achievement will help us go from strength to strength, with our desire for fully serviceable and maintained defibrillators being easily accessible in an emergency situation across the North West.

“A huge thanks to David, saved by one of our defibrillators for the nomination, the BBC for the awards and very best wishes to all the well deserving people receiving recognition for their efforts.”