SCHOOLS in Leigh have been given life-saving defibrillators — thanks to The Journal.

The machines were presented to the five schools by the Hand on Heart charity after they were awarded a £5,000 grant from the Leigh Journal's parent company Gannett Foundation.

Schools across the borough sent in 200 words to the Journal explaining why they would like their school to be made 'heart safe' and from the applications, Westleigh, Tyldsley, St John's, St Joseph's and XII Apostles Primary schools were selected.

Hand on Heart is a national charity that aims to make all schools across the country 'heart safe'.

Salford is the first area in Greater Manchester to become a 'heart safe' city and now the charity is focusing on doing the same in Leigh and Wigan.

Lesley Groome, fundraising co-ordinator at Hand on Heart, said it was vital that defibrillators were provided to schools.

She said: "There are 12 young people that die each week from sudden cardiac arrest and 270 children lose their lives in schools each year to a sudden cardiac arrest.

"We want to make sure that all school's are heart safe and help to save lives. To get the funding was great and I can't believe the journey we have been on.

"To think that people in America have seen the work that we do is fantastic.

"Wigan and Leigh is one of our campaign areas and we will make sure that every single school is made heart safe."

Pupils were presented with the life saving equipment by Leigh Centurions first team player Tom Spencer at Leigh Sports Village on March 27 and given free tickets to the Leigh vs Whitehaven match last weekend.

Pupil Louis Bramhall, aged 11, from XII Apostles Primary School, said: "When we heard about the competition we looked in to the history of the school to see if anything had happened before.

"It hasn't happened before but it could happen at any time so now we will be prepared and we will be able to save lives."

Following the schools receiving the defibrillators Hand on Heart Charity will provide both staff and pupils with basic life saving skills and training to use them.

Leigh Centurions player Tom Spencer said: "It's a massive honour to be involved with this initiative and to help educate and ensure the safety of young children.

"It's good to see how enthusiastic the kids are to be learning about their health and well-being."

Anne Ganley, learning mentor at St Joseph's said: "We were actually trying to raise funds to buy a defibrillator so to be given one is absolutely fantastic.

"The safety of our pupils is so important to us and we are going to get pupils, staff, parents and any one that comes in to the school trained to make sure that everyone knows how to use it."