The Parent Teacher Association (PTA) at an Aberdeenshire school has raised funds for a new defibrillator.
The life-saving equipment has now been installed outside Crombie Primary School and is accessible to the public 24 hours a day.
Chairman of the PTA, David Shewan, explained a few health scares on school grounds led to the new addition.
“There were a few instances when it would have been required but luckily nothing went array,” he said.
“The two closest defibrillators in the vicinity are at the scout hall and the swimming pool, so someone would need to run elsewhere to get the defibrillator and bring it back.
“What if they didn’t get back in time? How could that impact that person’s mental health?”
There are more than a dozen defibrillators around Westhill but this is the first one to be installed outside a school.
Fundraising efforts
As the PTA is a charity, any money they raise has to be for and inclusive of all school pupils and have an educational benefit.
This means the committee had to seek funding from other sources to pay for the £1,600 defibrillator and make sure it was accessible to the whole community.
They sought advice from the Westhill and District Defib Group, who suggested they get in touch with St John Scotland as the charity will contribute to the costs.
The Westhill and Elrick Community Council, the school’s parent council and the Lions Club also contributed with donations.
Mr Shewan added: “The Lions Club heard about the fundraising and came to the PTA with a donation. That was very generous of them as we hadn’t approached them at all.”
Representatives from St John Scotland paid a visit to Crombie Primary School last month and installed the new defibrillator.
“It’s the most expensive piece of equipment you’d never want to use,” Mr Shewan added.
The Westhill and District Defib Group will host an open day on Saturday to teach life-saving skills to the public.
All ages are encouraged to come along to learn CPR and how the defibrillators work with representatives from St John Scotland and emergency services to be in attendance.
The drop-in session will be held between 10am and 2pm at the Westhill Community Church.
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