Staff from the Bailbrook House Hotel in Bath have taken part in a gruelling 24 hour cycle ride to raise funds for the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, who saved the life of one of their colleagues.
Over 2 years ago Bailbrook House’s Maintenance Manager, Paul Stacey had a cardiac arrest whilst at work.
Thanks to his colleagues and the GWAAC team he is still alive today and was able to join his colleagues in the challenge.
Two years ago Paul had gone to work as usual when he went into cardiac arrest. Thankfully the staff at the hotel were trained and able to administer CPR (Cardio Pulmonary Resuscitation) immediately before the Critical Care Team from GWAAC arrived on scene to give Paul the lifesaving care he needed.
The Critical Care Team deliver lifesaving treatment but this is often enhanced by the general public delivering basic life support skills and in Paul’s case his colleagues helped give him the best chance of survival.
GWAAC run a training programme called Great Western Heart Starters to train school children in Yrs 8-10 in basic life support skills.
Their vision is to create a generation of heart starters who can confidently administer CPR and use an AED (Automated External Defibrillator) should they ever find themselves in the situation where it is needed.
Starting at midnight, the team from the hotel did shifts for the full 24 hours, cycling a cumulative 284.72 miles.
Elaine Cross, HR Manager at Bailbrook House explained: “We were thrilled to support Great Western Air Ambulance Charity through our 24 hour cycling challenge.
“GWAAC is a cause that is close to us all at Bailbrook House Hotel after they assisted Paul following a cardiac arrest.
“Without the help of Great Western Air Ambulance Charity’s Critical Care Doctors and Paramedics, specialist equipment and supplies, our colleague may not have made the full recovery that he did and be at work today.”
Bailbrook House have chosen GWAAC as their charity of the year and intend to do a number of challenges and fundraising events.
Ian Cantoni, Community Fundraiser Coordinator for GWAAC explained: “It’s been a real pleasure working with the team from Bailbrook House. Everyone at GWAAC is so grateful for their support and commitment to raising vital funds to keep Bath’s local air ambulance flying.
“We very much look forward to continuing our partnership in the future and can’t wait to be a part of their next event!”
Elaine continued: “The 24 hour cycle was a real success, with 284.72 miles cycled, and £700 raised in just 24 hours. The event really brought the team together and we intend to continue to support GWAAC’s work as Bath’s local air ambulance charity.”
For more information about the Great Western Air Ambulance Charity, and the work they do on a day-to-day basis, visit: www.greatwesternairambulance.com.
