INSPIRED by our Jack’s Appeal, a Newport primary school was presented with a life-saving heart defibrillator today..

The Argus set out in January 2014 – along with the family of 15-year-old Jack Thomas from Oakdale – to provide every secondary school in Gwent and the Rhymney Valley with the machines.

Owed to Alway Community Association, Hearts in Minds and a donation left in the Will of local community figure Dave Cook, £993 was raised for a defibrillator at Alway Primary School.

The school has followed in the footsteps of Alway Community Centre and Llanwern High School in having the life-saving machine on its premises.

Working alongside the Welsh Ambulance Service, the school was also moved by one of their pupils, Deacon Hamilton, five, suffering with a heart condition.

Head teacher Richard Hughes said: “It’s wonderful. We are extremely grateful. It just gives you that piece of mind.

“In the event of a call going out over someone having an attack, you know you have the equipment at the ready to be used."

Elizabeth Slade, the trustee of Alway Community Association, said the school had been inspired by the Jack’s Appeal.

She added: “This is the final one for the area. It’s fantastic and hopefully it will never be used.

“It’s nice to have it just in case. It’s a little life saving machine.”