Malet Lambert has received two life-saving defibrillators from the charity The Oliver King Foundation.
The academy contacted the foundation after PE teacher Mr Beadle saw a news report on the charity and realised the equipment was something the school needed to have.
The defibrillators were delivered by chief executive of the charity, and its namesake’s father, Mark King, who said this was the first school he had worked with in Hull.
He said, “We’ve provided over 800 defibrillators to community buildings and schools across the country in my son’s name, but this is the first school we’ve worked with in this area.
“This equipment is so vital and I’m very glad Mr Beadle got in touch. Over the four years we’ve been doing this, our defibrillators have saved seven lives, and have also raised awareness of SADS.”
SADS (Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome) is the condition that 12 year old Oliver King passed away from during a swimming lesson at his school in Liverpool in 2011.
Mark King set up The Oliver King Foundation to raise awareness of SADS and to try and get a defibrillator in every school and community to help limit the amount of future deaths occurring.
The academy received the defibrillators in anticipation of funding from this week’s Non-Uniform Day, where all students will pay £1 to wear something red and help raise the majority of funds for the equipment.
Mr Beadle feels it was important to involve the students in this project.
He said, “SADS can be a difficult topic to understand. All students have been shown a presentation to help them learn more about the condition and understand how the defibrillators could potentially save lives in our school and community.
“All of them will be actively contributing to raising money and awareness for this cause, and for the new equipment, whether they are part of non-uniform day or take part in other activities that are going on.”
The performing arts department will be putting on a show that students can watch for a small donation during lunchtime, staff will be selling cakes during break time, and one member of staff will be donating funds from his upcoming involvement in Movember.
Twenty four staff will be trained in how to use the equipment, although the defibrillators ‘talk’ the user through the process should they ever need to be used.
The remainder of the money required to purchase the apparatus has been generously donated by Jim Bell Coaches, Vobis Wealth Consultancy, and IPC Services.
PE teacher and Progress Leader Mr Robinson, who was one of the staff trained during the first session, admitted he felt more comfortable knowing the equipment was in school.
He said, “I’m really glad we’ve received this training and we now have these defibrillators in school.
“We’ve never had an incident where something like this would need to be used, and I hope we never will. But it sets your mind at ease knowing they are there.”