The Glen Innes Bowling Club has received a valuable safety upgrade, with the installation of a defibrillator now available to all members and visitors. This addition was made possible through funding from the New South Wales Government’s Local Sport Defibrillator Program.
The program provides financial assistance to clubs and sporting organisations across the state to acquire Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs), enhancing emergency response capabilities in local communities.
Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan visited the Glen Innes Bowling Club to formally announce the funding and meet with staff and members.
“The Glen Innes Bowling Club hosts hundreds of people per week for bowls competitions, to meet with friends or to enjoy a meal,” Mr Moylan said.
“We know cardiac arrest can affect anyone at any given time.
“Having a defibrillator on-hand is incredibly important for clubs and organisations in the event of an emergency. Research shows a person’s chance of survival increases significantly if a defibrillator is used in conjunction with CPR immediately following cardiac arrest, prior to paramedics arriving.
“It is great to see one of these important devices installed at the Glen Innes Bowling Club thanks to the Local Sport Defibrillator Program.”
Club staff say the new defibrillator provides an added layer of reassurance for the community, particularly given the club’s demographic and the range of events held on-site.
Bar supervisor Bella Garson said the defibrillator’s presence will benefit many.
“We have a lot of older people in the club – that’s our main demographic – especially bowlers,” she said.
“I think it is a really beneficial thing to have, especially in close proximity to us in the bar.
“We get a lot of different people from the community; we get a lot of aged care tour buses and some of the aged care homes come and have barefoot bowls days so it gives them a bit of comfort in case anything happens.”
