Defibrillator donated to city centre Bridewell pub in memory of ‘kind and caring’ customer

A potentially life-saving defibrillator has been donated to city centre pub, The Bridewell, in memory of one of its popular customers who died earlier this year.

Spencer Haizel was only 31 when he collapsed in January from sudden arrythmic death syndrome, diagnosed when someone suffers cardiac arrest, the cause of which cannot be found.

Family, including his mum, Karen, and friends raised money to buy the defibrillator – which delivers a high energy electric shock to the heart of someone who is in cardiac arrest – through the Oliver King Foundation which aims to increase provision of the lifesaving devices across the UK.

And they presented it to The Bridewell in Campbell Square because it was Spencer’s favourite pub.

Bridewell owner Fiona Hornsby said:

“The hope is that we never have to use it but it is here for anyone in the pub or for anybody in the area if it’s needed.

“Another hope is that it can stop such a tragedy happening to anyone else.”

Fiona said The Oliver King Foundation went in to train her and her staff how to use the defibrillator and explained how it worked, and they will re-visit annually to deliver refresher courses and/or to train new staff: “At the end of the day we are not just here to serve customers, but to offer them help if they need it.”

She said: “Spencer used to come in here with three or four of his friends quite regularly, and it’s a privilege that they chose us to have this.

“To offer something like this, and to do something like this, and create a positive after the worst thing that has happened to them shows an incredible strength of character. To give a piece of life-saving equipment in memory of someone is a wonderful thing to do.”

Spencer

The defibrillator will be placed close to the door of The Bridewell, alongside a plaque and a picture of Spencer ‘so that he’s never forgotten’.

Spencer lived in South Liverpool and was a web designer who worked with many agencies across the city.

Josh Wilkins met him through work around seven years ago and the pair became firm friends.

He said he thought Spencer would be really proud of the defibrillator being donated in his memory, and he smiled: “And I think he’d also be proud that he’s got his face on the wall in The Bridewell.”

Josh described Spencer as a man with a great sense of humour. A massive Liverpool fan, the pair went to many LFC games together and he added: “Our relationship was orientated around laughter, we used to sit and laugh constantly.

“But he was also a very kind and caring person who looked out for other people, so this sums him up. It’s a positive to come out a huge negative.

“The Oliver King Foundation is installing them throughout the country and they have already saved a lot of people’s lives.

“In giving this one to The Bridewell, we hope people will benefit from it.”

Fiona Hornsby revealed that following the donation of the defibrillator to The Bridewell, she is planning to buy one herself to install in her other venue, The Denbigh Castle, in Hackins Hey.

She says the more devices there are, the more people can potentially be saved: “The ambulance service is under such huge pressure  so if we can use these machines to buy someone time before they can do their magic, then that can only be a good thing.”