Leon's Legacy helping to save lives in Sutton

A late lunchtime supervisor’s legacy is set to see lives saved across Mansfield and Ashfield.

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A Sutton primary school is the latest place to benefit from Leon’s Legacy and take delivery of a life-saving defibrillator.

Leon was working as a lunchtime supervisor at Annesley Primary and Nursery School, Forest Road, Annesley Woodhouse, when he collapsed and died in January, aged just 52.

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Holly Younger, his daughter and a cardiac nurse, said: “We started Leon’s Legacy earlier this year after we lost our dad.

Holly Younger, of Leon’s Legacy, fourth from right,  holds a cheque for £200 donated by Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, while children hold the new defibrillator now installed at the school.Holly Younger, of Leon’s Legacy, fourth from right,  holds a cheque for £200 donated by Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, while children hold the new defibrillator now installed at the school.
Holly Younger, of Leon’s Legacy, fourth from right, holds a cheque for £200 donated by Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, while children hold the new defibrillator now installed at the school.

“He had a cardiac arrest at Annesley school and though the staff were amazing and did everything they should, including cardiopulmonary resuscitation and going to get a defibrillator, things weren’t meant to be.

“We have no idea if things would have been different if they had had a defibrillator on site, but we felt it would improve the chances for others.

“So, we started fundraising for a defibrillator for the school and ended up with more money than we needed and that’s when we decided we were just going to keep spreading the love.”

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Mrs Younger, Leon’s Legacy chairman, has now presented the latest defibrillator to Mapplewells Primary and Nursery School, Henning Lane, Sutton.

She said: “We never thought we would end up with this many defibs’ – we’ve just reached number 20.”

Defibrillators are portable electronic devices designed to deliver electricity to patients to establish an effective heart rhythm – greatly improving the chances of survival after cardiac arrest.

Each defibrillator costs £505 and offers step-by-step instructions to use. All of the defibrillators are registered to the ambulance service so the public can be directed to their location.

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Shelley Christie, of the Friends of Mapplewell group at the school, said: "When we heard about the opportunity to install a defibrillator at the school, we jumped at it.

“We also decided to use money raised throughout the year at various school events to donate £200 to the cause.

“This is a gift for the whole community who now have access to this lifesaving equipment, and we want to thank Holly and her team for donating the defibrillator to the school, and we wish them well raising money for further equipment.”