Lloyd Morrison’s legacy lives on, to save lives

The Lloyd Morrison Foundation’s gift to Wellington will certainly top the pile under the tree this Christmas, at its launch at 4pm today outside 5 Market Lane.

Lloyd Morrison was a passionate and visionary Wellington businessman, and his legacy will live on through the Foundation’s inaugural gift to Wellington, as well as a new ambulance to service the region.

Thanks to the Foundation’s generosity, Wellington Free Ambulance will strengthen its ‘Heartbeat’ programme, to reach more schools and businesses throughout the region and increase the number of people trained in CPR.

“When someone has a cardiac arrest, chances of survival are hugely increased when bystanders are confident and willing to give CPR until help arrives,” says Wellington Free Ambulance Heartbeat coordinator Amy Williams.

“The Heartbeat programme educates people on what to do should someone suffer a cardiac arrest – so we have to say a big thanks to Julie Nevett and the Lloyd Morrison Foundation for helping to keep the community safe.

“We want this region to be known as ‘number one’ in the country for cardiac arrest preparedness, and in the next year, hundreds of people will have completed the Heartbeat programme.”

On average Wellington Free Ambulance attends four cardiac arrests per week, and the service has the best cardiac arrest survival rates in the country – though there is always room for improvement, Amy says.

“All our front line ambulances are double crewed, and we run a ‘first responder’ scheme, which brings our most qualified paramedics to the job – and having more people out on the street able to step in until we arrive would be just fantastic,” she says.

KiwiRail employee Matthew Lauder recently proved the important role a bystander can play when he saved a passenger’s life by giving CPR on a train running from Petone to Wellington.

“You never know when you, or someone else, might need CPR,” he says.

“I never thought I’d be in that situation, I just did what I had to do.

“[A cardiac arrest] often looks like nothing at all, so it’s so important to know the signs and what to do from there.”

The programme, as well as a new ambulance purchased through funding from the Lloyd Morrison Foundation, will be launched at 4pm today (Friday, December 18) at Morrison and Co offices, 5 Market Lane, Wellington.

ENDS

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