Tansy Green Pub installs defibrillator in memory of Wanderers fan

The Tansy Green has mounted a defibrillator on its outside wall last Thursday (November 21).

Couple Graham Wilson and Mandie Holland,  Tansy Green’s landlords, said the pub’s pool team came up with the idea of getting one.

A member had heard of the death of Bolton Wanderers fan Iain Purslow, 71, last year – who’d had a suspected cardiac arrest about 30 minutes into a Bolton Wanderers Football Club (BWFC) game.

Graham Wilson, 59, said: “One of the lads on the pool team worked at Bolton Football Ground as a chef.

“He’d heard Iain came over to watch the match and died there. It upset everyone.

“The pool team goes to BWFC matches. And they all said, if someone had a heart attack at the Tansy Green, we would have nothing here to help them.

“They decided to raise some money for a defibrillator.

“And Mandie and I offered to help them.

“We got some posters made and used a football card to raise the money.”

Punters could buy a spot on the scratch card for £10 and bet on a football club –potentially winning £600.

Tansy Green pool team and staff (Image: Public)

Half the profits from sales went toward the defibrillator.

Graham said: “Before we know it, the card was nearly full.

“Some of the money went toward the defibrillator’s upkeep.

“It's on 24/7 so it takes a bit to run but that's not a problem as long as people it saves people's lives.”

Graham Wilson and Mandie Holland (Image: Newsquest)

And a Tansy Green punter reached out to Claire Axon, a Darcy Lever campaigner and founder of charity Minutes Matter, for help.  

Claire said she is “known” in the community for raising money to install Community Public Access Defibrillator sites (cPADs) and helping maintain them.

She also offers free awareness training in First Aid and how to use them.

Claire Axon (Image: Public)

She said: “A punter told me about the landlords’ fundraiser.

“And asked how much a defibrillator should cost.

“Many businesses that sell them do so for a lot of money but I get the best price I can and pass on any discounts I know of.

“I then make sure the defibrillator is installed properly and registered on The Circuit – the national defibrillator network which maps defibrillators across the UK.”

And Claire was impressed with the Tansy Green staff’s passion.

She said: “When the landlords contacted me, they seemed very determined to get this defibrillator up and serving the community.

“There was a big gap in the immediate area. I think this would be the first cPAD available there.”

After the money was raised, she helped mount the defibrillator outside the Tansy Green.

She said: “The landlords and pool team have done exceptionally well.

“They should be very proud of themselves.”

And Claire will continue to help with the defibrillator.

She said: “Now that we’ve installed it, I’ve offered to train the Tansy’s staff and pub-goers on how to use it.

“This can give them the confidence to use it should it be needed.”

And she said registering the defibrillator on The Circuit was key.

She said: “It’s about plugging in the gaps.

“Apps like defib finder that use data from The Circuit and show you the registered defibrillators in the area.

“Everybody should know where their nearest defibrillator is.

“If there’s a situation where someone has a cardiac arrest or they have to wait a long time for an ambulance, a defibrillator is going to give them the best chance of survival.”