THE Ben Crean Trust is working with North West Ambulance Service (NWAS) to raise awareness and funds to increase the number of defibrillators in public places and schools.

The Trust was set up after 28-year-old Hale man Ben Crean died suddenly of a heart attack in 2008, and parents Jennie and Nick and sister Amy decided to establish the fund in his honour.

Over the past four years the Trust has raised money for The Princes Trust, Teenage Cancer Trust, Salford Royal Intensive Care Nurses Fund, and Cardiac Risk in the Young.

Jennie Crean said: “The reason we are supporting the defibrillator campaign is because my son died after suffering a cardiac arrest and if there had been a defibrillator available it may have helped him.”

Ben was at the Daytona Go-Carting centre when he suffered the cardiac arrest, and the Trust is now helping the centre fund a defibrillator for their Trafford Park venue.

Jennie added: “Although we’ve been fundraising for other causes, we read about the NWAS campaign in The Messenger, and for us it was very timely. We’re hoping to fund defibrillators in lots of public places. Bowden Rugby Club has been very supportive of us in the past, and we’d like to raise money for a defibrillator for them.”

The Trust will be holding their annual sponsored walk on April 20. They are hoping 100 people will take part in the walk across Morecombe Bay.

To get involved contact Jennie on crean.j@gmail.com or 07814727712.