Red phone boxes being turned into life savers

Sarah Hodgson with her daughter Rosie outside the phone box in Settle

When Yorkshireman Mike Hodgson died of a sudden cardiac arrest while out cycling with his wife Sara, she pledged to do something to stop the tragedy happening to other families.

“We were keen cyclists and fell runners and we were out cycling around our home in the Lake District on August 8 last year,” explains Sara. “ I got to the top of a hill close to our home I waited for Mike, but he didn’t come.” Sara cycled back down and saw her husband collapsed. He had suffered a sudden cardiac arrest and despite Sara giving CPR by the time the ambulance arrived they were unable to save the 57 year old father of three.

“I remember thinking if there had been a defibrillator nearby then Mike would have had a chance and I knew that I wanted to do something to increase the number of defibrillators in the country.”

Mike, originally from Horsforth, was co-founder yoghurt brand The Collective. Sara, who also worked for the company asked if they would create a limited edition yoghurt to raise money for the Community Heartbeat Trust to help fund ten defibrillators.

“Mike loved plums and so they created a plum yoghurt 5p from each yoghurt goes tot he Heartbeat Trust.”

But Sara wanted to do more. On Friday, accompnaied by her two youngest children, familya nd friends, she will cycle 350 miles from their home in the Lakes to The Collective’s head office in London. They will be joined by her eldest son Ben for the last 200 miles.

The five day charity bike ride includes 20,000 feet of climbing from September 2 to 6. Participants will raise money, receiving donations via: www.justgiving.com/fundraising/bike-for-mike

“We have already raised more than £3,700 enough to buy three defibrillators which is amazing. I was determined that one of the firs woul dbe in Yorkshire as Mike and I were both from Yorkshire.”

And last week the defibrillator on the High Street in Settle becamse operational.

“I think it is really fitting that the defibrillators are in old telephone boxes. There are so many which are now disused and it is putting them to a new very important use.

“Organising the ride has given us some focus since Mike’s death. I have been cycling with my two youngest children, James, 20 and Rosie, 19 at the weekends.”