Neston Cricket Club given life-saving equipment by family of man killed by undiagnosed heart condition

Mar 17 2010 by Lorna Hughes, Heswall News

LIFE-SAVING equipment was handed over to Neston Cricket Club last week.

The club was presented with the defibrillator by the Craig Hodgkinson Trust.

It was set up by the family of club member Lawrence McNeight, whose cousin, Royal Marine Craig Hodgkinson, died suddenly aged 27 from cardiomyopthia while playing rugby for the Royal Navy in 2006.

The Hodgkinson family have strong connections with Wirral. Mr Hodgkinson played rugby at Caldy and a team from their new home in Glasgow regularly take part in the Caldy Sevens.

Craig’s father John was inNeston last week to present club president Andrew Wallis with the defibrillator.

Andrew Wallis said: “We are delighted to accept such a vital piece of equipment. This machine could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency.

“With more than 1300 members, many of them young sportsmen like Craig, we take seriously our responsibility to ensure that we are not only providing the best sporting facilities in the region, but also the best medical back-up.”

The Trust, supported by the British Heart Foundation, raises money to provide sporting clubs such as Neston with the life-saving equipment.

Every week in the UK, 12 young sports people like Craig die from undiagnosed heart conditions.

West Cheshire Ambulance has provided club members with training to use the defibrillator.

John Hodgkinson said: “It is our belief that it might have been possible to have saved Craig’s life had a defibrillator been available. “For this reason, we want to prevent another family from suffering such a devastating loss.

“We hope that lives will be saved as a result of the defibrillators we are providing around the UK and are delighted that Neston Cricket Club has become our latest recipient.”