The Tommy Cooper Society has presented the Caerphilly Miners’ Centre with a heart defibrillator.
The society launched its Tommy’s Ticker campaign four years ago to mark the 30th anniversary of the death of Tommy Cooper, who died of a heart attack while on stage in 1984.
The campaign aims to provide the community with the devices – used to save people who are having heart attacks.
The heart defibrillator is the 12th delivered by the society, who received funding from the Vanguard centre, whose members donated their gala concert proceeds to the campaign, held in July this year.
David Fortey, a member of the choir Only Men Aloud and Vanguard volunteer, presented the defibrillator to the Miner’s Centre chairman of trustees, Wayne David MP.
Tudor Jones MBE, who is the chairman of the society, said: “Vanguard’s generosity not only enabled us to purchase this life-saving unit, but was sufficient to also give us a great start on fundraising for a 13th defibrillator.”
He added: “There is no defibrillator at Neuadd Y Parc hall in Caerphilly, so this could be our next project, if their officers agree.”
Each defibrillator costs around £1,000, and the society has teamed up with charity Welsh Hearts to donate equipment to Caerphilly Library, Caerphilly Visitors’ Centre, Caerphilly Workmen’s Hall, Blackwood Miners’ Institute, Rudry Parish Hall, Bedwas Workmen’s Hall, Caerphilly Castle, Abertridwr YMCA, Caerphilly’s Vanguard Centre, St Martin’s Church and now the Miners’ Centre.
The society was originally set up in 2003 with the aim of funding a statue of the late entertainer, but now raise money for other charitable causes.
*An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that Wayne David MP was the chairman of trustees for the Tommy Cooper Society. This has since been corrected.