In the wake of World Kindness Day, we’d love to announce a little bit of good we’ve done for a business close to our heart.
A Bit About Us
At Direct365, helping SMEs nationwide is what we’re all about; we support a range of businesses in various ways, providing workplace essentials and guidance with specialist services and products. So when we saw an opportunity to go the extra mile for a small business, we grasped it with both hands.
Automatic External Defibrillators are a key product range that we’re highly competitive on. We work with AED suppliers to provide quality deals for businesses so that more life-saving AEDs are accessible in emergency situations. For more information on AEDs, check out our ultimate FAQ guide here.
We strongly believe that all businesses in the UK should have functioning AEDs on their premises, because Sudden Cardiac Arrest (SDA) can strike anyone at any time, and the time taken to defibrillate is literally a matter of life or death.
A Bit About The Martial Arts Studio
The Martial Arts Studio (TMAS) is a family run business with gyms in Liverpool and St Helens. TMAS host a range of martial arts and fitness classes daily, including popular children’s classes for those ages four to sixteen.
In October 2019, the studio announced a Personal Training Fundraising Day to help raise money for a life-saving AED. The day consisted of seven TMAS instructors providing personal training sessions and classes for donations. When asked why this was so important to TMAS, owners and instructors Sharon and Gary Giam had this to say:
“After completing a First Aid at Work course we realised just how vital a defibrillator really is when it comes to saving a life. In the environment we work in we have a social responsibility to ensure the health and safety of all our clients and believe that having a defibrillator on site gives us extra peace of mind knowing we are best prepared for any eventuality.
We organised a fundraiser where everyone could get involved because we wanted to promote the importance of how this piece of equipment is beneficial to everyone, whether that be a grandparent, parent, friend, partner or child.”
At Direct365, we became aware of this fundraiser because a member of our Digital Team attends TMAS weekly; in light of the event, it became clear that our services could help to make a big difference.
A Bit About Philips AED360
We decided to seek help from one of our suppliers and leader in AEDs: Philips AED360. We discussed the fundraiser with Co-Founder Peter Houtzagers, who was able to consider a generous discount to ensure that the studio would be able to afford a Philips Heartstart AED.
In Peter’s words:
“Philips is committed to doing everything we can to help the survival of a SCA, which is why we design our AEDs to be rugged, lightweight and durable, featuring clear audio instructions for both guided use and CPR guidance in addition to intuitive icon-driven operation for ease of use.
SCA is a leading cause of death in the UK and worldwide, but early action increases chances of survival from less than 10% to over 70% if treated within three minutes. This is why we’re proud to support the placement of two Philips Heartstart AEDs at TMAS.”
The Outcome
The fundraiser was a great success and, thanks to the help of Direct365 and Philips AED360, TMAS were able to purchase not just one but two Heartstart AEDs complete with Slim Carry Cases (including battery pack and electrode pads cartridge) and Wall Mount Perspex, meaning both the Liverpool and the St Helens studio could be equipped!
The hard work of the Giam’s means they can rest easy knowing their business has done its bit to defend against SCA. We asked both TMAS and Philips AED360 to sum up their experiences with us, here’s what they had to say:
“Direct365 were amazing in helping to advise, source, order and deliver two defibrillators complete with carry cases and display units. We would highly recommend them to anyone wishing to purchase a defibrillator as we wouldn’t have been able to purchase two of them without their assistance.”
– Sharon Giam, TMAS Owner
“Direct365 are an important partner for Philips in the UK and the more Philips AEDs they will be able to get into the field, the more lives will be saved.”
– Peter Houtzagers, AED360 Co-Founder
Our Digital Marketer responsible for the collaboration also wanted to add a few words:
Back“Using Direct365’s connections with AED360 meant we could do some good to support a small business close to home. I’m grateful for the kind help from our Product Team and from Peter Houtzagers and I’m filled with joy every time I see the AED mounted on the wall when I go to train.
It makes me immensely proud that my workplace could help me to support my martial arts family. Although I hope they never have to be used, the AEDs we’ve managed to acquire could help save the life of someone close to me, which certainly means a lot.”