A DJ who owes his life to a bystander knowing CPR is helping to raise funds for a defibrillator in Rawtenstall.

DJ Chilly - real name Tom Ormerod - is 32 and lives in Accrington, but when he was 26 and on a day trip to Blackpool, he suffered a heart attack.

His dad Michael works in Northern Whisper, which has a brewery in Cloughfold and a pub next to Rawtenstall Market which is where the fundraiser will be on Friday, December 2, from 7pm.

Michael said: “Tom was very fortunate that a passerby knew CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) and he was able to keep his heart pumping until paramedics arrived with a defibrillator.

“It turned out Tom has a rare condition - RYR2 gene mutation – which was passed on by me and goes undetected. That caused the cardiac arrest.

"He has now been fitted with an internal defibrillator to shock his heart if anything happens again, and it has already been used.”

Tom first started DJing when he was 12 and, given his age, his dad was his roadie.

Towards the end of the pandemic, Tom started to DJ online and that has given him the confidence to get back behind the decks for the fundraiser.

Michael said: “At Northern Whisper we have 13 keg beers and six cask ales and on that night we will be serving a special beer – Take the Biscuit – a cookie dough beer, which is a bit like a milkshake.

"For every beer sold there will be a contribution for the defibrillator fund.

“We will also be selling cookies and there is a chance that in the bag of cookies you may win a prize.

“We will be selling neon bracelets and necklaces on the night and will have collection buckets.

“A defibrillator costs £1,500 so we have a target to aim for and we will be having an online auction through Northern Whisper’s Facebook page for a single ticket to see Peter Kay in Manchester on January 10, 2025.

“Rawtenstall businesses have been asked to support the event with money or raffle prizes, because the defibrillator will be for the benefit of all.”

DJ Chilly will also be streaming the performance live on Twitch through his Facebook page ChillyDDJ.

Any businesses that want to donate to the event can email michael@northernwhisperbrewingco.co.uk or call 01706 230082.