FORMER Trowbridge Town Manager Neil Kirkpatrick has pledged to raise 8,000 euros for a hospital in Cyprus after suffering a heart attack on holiday.

Mr Kirkpatrick, of Shrewton Close, was on holiday in Paphos with his wife in July last year when he suffered the attack which inspired him to start a series of fundraisers for the hospital that cared for him.

“We travelled out there for a nice holiday and then I didn’t feel well and I went to the doctor at the hotel and he took one look at me and said you need to go to hospital. He immediately put me in an ambulance and within 20 minutes, I had a heart attack,” the 52-year-old said.

“I had a major arrhythmia and without the cardiologist at hospital, I wouldn’t be here. The cardiologist visited me a good four or five times a day and it was little things like that which really put you at ease while everything else was going on.

“Even though the care was phenomenal, it was clear that some things were very dated and needed updating.

“As well as taking care of me, the hospital staff took great care of my wife too ensuring she was always informed and just always checking she was ok too, as it was an extremely traumatic experience for her too as we were in a foreign country.”

Mr Kirkpatrick, who was manager at Trowbridge Town nine years ago, will be holding a sponsored walk on March 28 and a charity golf day and auction on May 13.

He hopes from the two events, he’ll be able to raise 8,000 euros which will be put towards an emergency transportation ventilator for medics at Evangelismos Private Hospital. TR Hayes of Bath have also agreed to sponsor the events with prizes so all money will be donated to the hospital.

“When I was in intensive care at the hospital, I knew I had to do something to help them. I couldn’t drive for six months and I have been working from home a lot so I had a bit more time to think about what I could do. I just jotted down ideas in my head and eventually put it all together with a couple of friends. Not everyone is into golf so that is why I thought I would also do a sponsored walk.”

After spending three weeks in hospital in Cyprus and a further couple of weeks in the Royal United Hospital in Bath, where he was fitted with an implantable cardioverter-defibrillator to be fitted to stop any arrhythmias, Mr Kirkpatrick is on the road to recovery.

For more information about the fundraisers, email Neil Kirkpatrick on Kirkpatrick864@btinternet.com.