Discontinued phone boxes in a Moray village transformed into lifesavers

Two old red phone boxes in Moray have been given a new lease of life after defibrillators were fitted inside them.

The devices were installed in disused phone boxes in Kingston and Garmouth after £7,000 was raised by the community.

Retired firefighter Roddy Robertson came up with the idea two years ago after becoming aware of a lack of life-saving equipment in both communities.

Mr Robertson was fully aware of the importance of defibrillators in rural communities through his work with the emergency services.

He said: “When I first moved to Garmouth, I saw that there were no defibrillators in the village, though they were being rolled out into fire appliances.

“Through my time in the service I know all about the time pressures involved in medical incidents and how every minute counts.

“If help comes a second too late, the patient could die.”

>> Keep up to date with the latest news with The P&J newsletter

The classic boxes in Garmouth and Kingston were earmarked for removal until Mr Robertson stepped in with proposals to save them.

He put forward his suggestions to Innes community council and Garmouth and the Kingston amenities committee.

And the community groups then applied to take on the boxes through the BT Adopt a Kiosk scheme.

Mr Robertson partnered with the Keiran’s Legacy organisation to get the devices installed.

Now training sessions have taken place  in the village to show locals how they can be used to save a life.

Mr Robertson said: “They are sophisticated pieces of equipment but simple to use.

“CPR is also a vital part of the process so I have already organised two training sessions and taught over 30 people how to do it.

“It’s got them prepared in case something happens.”

Keiran’s Legacy was set up by the parents of a Moray teenager who died while out biking in a car accident.

Sandra and Gordon McKandie have been busy fundraising for community defibrillators since his tragic death.

Mrs McKandie said she was pleased to see the vital piece of equipment installed in Kingston and Garmouth.

She said: “It’s another rural place where they need access to emergency equipment as the ambulance service is stretched and they may take longer to get there so this will be helpful to them.

“This will be very beneficial to the community resilience in Garmouth and Kingston.”