A Salford pub is set to have a defibrillator installed on Saturday in memory of a father-of-three who died from a heart attack while on a run.
Andy Haines, 45, from Swinton, had a sudden heart attack while running on the hill with five other members of a Holcombe Harriers running group in 2024.
Since then, his friends and family have worked with local defibrillator charity Restart the Heart to fit life-saving equipment at the site where he passed away.
This weekend, they will be in attendance at the White Horse pub in Worsley on Saturday to celebrate a defibrillator being fitted in his honour.
Sarah Jones, the founder of Restart the Heart, explained that this will be the charity’s 50th life-saving installation at Andy’s local pub.
“It is a huge milestone for us to have completed 50 defib installations over three years,” she said. It is also brilliant to do it in memory of Andy Haines at his local pub.”
“He was with a running group and was very physically fit. He passed away in November 2024, when he was only 45, as he was running up a hill with a group of people from the club.
“Unfortunately, no defib was on hand, and he tragically passed away. That shines a light on how important these defibrillators are because you don’t have to be old and have a dodgy ticker to get out of breath.”
Sarah explained that a member of Andy’s running group reached out to her in the aftermath of his death, asking if a defibrillator could be fitted at the Peel Monument at Holcombe Hill.
“A neurosurgeon who tried to perform CPR on Andy got in touch with me a couple of days after the incident and asked what the chances were that a defibrillator could be fitted there.
“We had tried in the past, but after meetings with the relevant authorities and eight months of work, we got the go-ahead. Because someone had lost a life there, we needed to try to prevent it from happening again.”
Sarah got in touch with Andy’s wife, Andrea and received her wholehearted support. “I said sorry for your loss, we really want to do something that would make Andy’s legacy live on and install the defibrillator. Andrea said, ‘If this can stop other families from going through the heartache we are going through, I will help as much as I can.’”
The pair have remained close and Sarah explained that Andrea asked if a defibrillator could be installed at the White Horse on Worsley Road.
“I found out it was Andy’s birthday on Friday so we are hoping the installation will be a celebration of that and reaching 50 defibs,” she explained.
Sarah said the charity reinvests all of the money made from fundraising into further installations or maintaining the network.
“In time, all of the 50 defibs will need new battery packs which cost 500 or 600 quid a time, so we are constantly fundraising.”
Andrea said: “A defibrillator being installed in memory of Andy at The White Horse is very important to our family and friends.
“This is a lasting legacy in his name, which can help stop a family from going through what we have and his death will help others. This is a memorial that could genuinely save someone’s life.”
She thanked the parents at a school in Swinton and Andy’s parents’ local church, who helped to raise money for the defibrillator:
“I would like to say a heartfelt thank you to Broadoak Primary school and all the children and parents who raised money towards the defib, as well as Worsley Road URC, which is Andy’s parents’ church. Also, the generous donations made personally by everyone.”
Andrea added: “I’d also like to give my thanks to Tash, the landlady of the White Horse pub for allowing the defibrillator to be installed.”
More information about the Restart the Heart and the instillation a the Worsley pub can be found here.
