Jamie Carragher and Oliver King Foundation to meet Education Secretary for second time as legislation draws closer

Jamie Carragher and Oliver King Foundation set for second crunch meeting with Education Secretary as legislation draws closer

Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and the Oliver King Foundation are once again set to meet with the Secretary of State for Education, in a further push to change legislation that will make it mandatory for all schools to have a life-saving defibrillator on site.

The foundation was set up in 2012 after founder Mark King’s son Oliver tragically died during a school swimming race from Sudden Arrhythmic Death Syndrome, a hidden heart condition which kills 12 young people every week. His parents have been campaigning for a change in the law to make defibrillators mandatory in all schools ever since.

Over the last decade, the charity has placed 4,500 defibrillators in schools and organisations across the UK, training 70,000 staff across the country in defibrillator awareness and incredibly saving more than 60 lives.

Now, Mark and Jamie are set for another crucial meeting in parliament on Thursday, March 17, with Education Secretary Nadhim Zahawi, to discuss the practicalities of achieving the foundation’s most important target..

The meeting comes after a successful day in Westminster last week, where Mark and long-standing supporter of the foundation Jamie spent time lobbying MPs and Lords over changing legislation.

It also follows a meeting they had with former Secretary of State for Education Gavin Williamson last summer, where good progress was made around the same issue before Mr Williamson was removed from office.

Founder of the Oliver King Foundation Mark King said: “This is the most important moment in the history of the foundation as getting this legislation implemented will save the lives of hundreds of young children across the country.

“It is exactly what we have been working so hard for in the past decade and we have heard this meeting is going to give us the news we all hope for.

“We have achieved so much so far, but this legislation will take things even further and save even more lives.

“Having a defibrillator in every school will make sure families don’t have to go through the experience my family went through when we lost Oliver.”