The Heartbeat of Football Foundation (HOF) is spearheading a major new initiative to map defibrillator access across NSW sports facilities, after receiving a $150,000 grant from the NSW Government.
The funding will allow HOF to conduct the first-ever statewide audit of Automated External Defibrillators (AEDs) at sporting venues, with valued volunteer Julia Chernoukha leading the audit team.
HOF Founder Andrew Paschalides and Board Members Angelo Tilocca and Mark Falvo joined NSW Sport Minister Steve Kamper at the launch, along with 70-year-old Allen Lyell, the oldest cardiac arrest survivor tracked by the foundation.
The foundation will also use the new funding to expand its #HeartHealthMatters Program, which delivers AED familiarisation and CPR training to sporting organisations, particularly in regional NSW.
Since its establishment in 2014, HOF has been at the forefront of cardiac safety in sport, with its work credited in saving 57 footballers’ lives – the majority since defibrillators were rolled out widely from 2017.
