SENIOR golfers, the Whitehaven Marras, raised £1,360 in a sponsorship event which they decided to donate to the Arlecdon and District First Responders.

One of their number, John King, 72, of Winder, especially supported the cause as he had had occasion to benefit from its good services several months ago when his wife, Helen, 68, suffered a diabetic episode at home.

First Responder Michael Watts was quickly on the scene to administer help and last week attended the Whitehaven Golf Club to accept the cheque from John, just before the Marras teed off.

The money will go towards the purchase of two defibrillators which cost £960 each.

“It was my turn to decide which charity we chose to support and the Arlecdon Responders was an obvious choice for me because they provide such a valuable service, especially in rural areas and they have helped us a couple of times,” said John.

He is now retired but formerly worked at Marchon labs, the Cleator Moor filter tip factory, in insurance and latterly, until retirement seven years ago, with Sellafield security.

Arlecdon Responders is in need of more members to join the team. The volunteers meet for training on the first Wednesday of every month in the Kirkland Mission at 7.30pm (Contact Chris Abbot 01946 861963).

If administered quickly by a community first responder, CPR and defibrillation (which delivers a therapeutic dose of electrical energy to the heart) can increase the chance of surviving a cardiac arrest to 50 per cent.

Responders also deal with a range of medical emergencies including conditions such as breathing problems, heavy bleeding and stroke.

Formed in 2004, the Arlecdon team covers a large area from Ennerdale to Cleator Moor, including Asby, Frizington and Lamplugh and on average receives 350 call-outs a year. It relies on fund raising and donations to enable it to continue.

The Arlecdon & District First Responders will have a stand at Ennerdale Show on Wednesday, August 26.