Support for Council community defibrillator appeal

The initiative is the brainchild of the Council’s Health and Safety and Procurement Teams, and aims to encourage contractors to donate this lifesaving equipment for distribution within the communities where they are undertaking work, as part of their obligations to provide wider local community benefits during the life of their contract with the Council.

David Doran, Health and Safety Manager explained:  “We want to make East Ayrshire a defibrillator Council within the next five years by providing this equipment to our communities to install in as many prominent locations as possible across the authority area. Communities are asking for assistance with this equipment as they can’t afford to purchase it themselves and this is one possible solution.

“Our contractors are often present in our communities for extended periods of time, depending on the duration of the project they are undertaking. During that time they establish relationships with communities, employing local people and using local amenities, and this initiative gives them an opportunity to give something back to that community and gain some positive local recognition at the same time.

“Having more defibrillators in our communities can only be a good thing and help save lives.”

Lesley McLean, Procurement Manager said:  “It’s early days yet, but the initial response from some of our bigger contractors has been very positive indeed with some even agreeing to donate more than one defibrillator and associated equipment, such as security boxes.

“We’ve already received confirmation from a number of contractors keen to back this initiative this year including Rho/dar, DM Homeshield, Tivoli Services, Confida FM, Fortress Security Ltd., CCG, The Consortium, B&G Contracts, Sharp Business, Unico, Life Environmental and Bowmans, and we hope to start distributing the equipment to successful community groups over the next couple of months.

“We are engaging with as many of our contractors as possible to drum up support and going forward, in line with the key aim of this initiative, we will also be incorporating defibrillators into all contracts for our major refurbishment and new build developments.”

Councillor Neal Ingram, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Community Safety, Roads and Transportation and Community Cohesion praised this initiative. He said: “This is indeed a ground- breaking initiative which will save lives in our communities, and I’m really encouraged by the support we’ve already received from some of our contractors to help make this happen.

“I would urge all local community groups and organisations to take advantage of the training and assistance that is available as part of this initiative, and to other contractors still considering this, please get in touch - we can all play our part in saving lives.”  

Craig MacFarlane, Office Manager with Fortress Security Alarms Ltd explained why his company got involved with this initiative. He said:

“We are delighted to be able to support the donation of defibrillators initiative.  We see this as an opportunity to invest in and enhance our local community and deliver on our ongoing commitment to delivering real social benefit whilst simultaneously demonstrating our commitment to listen to and understand the community and its priorities.  We are extremely grateful to be afforded the opportunity to respond to those priorities. 

“Fortress look to deliver tangible benefits and provide the best possible service to local communities such as paying suppliers on time, supporting young people into sustainable employment, and promoting equality by ensuring ethical employment practices and offering opportunities targeted at unrepresented and disadvantaged communities.  We also seek to engage with local communities wherever possible through charitable work, corporate sponsorship, volunteering, and mentoring. We are solidly committed to supporting local businesses by ensuring that wherever possible materials and equipment are sourced from within the community.  It is our enormous privilege and honour to be allowed to participate and support those around us and have made these tenets fundamental within our culture.”

Ian Higgins, from Bonnyton Thistle Football Club explained what a community defibrillator would mean to them:

“Bonnyton Thistle Football Club would welcome a community defibrillator at our Townholm facility as we have various age groups training from Monday through to Friday, with the possibility of three games on both Saturday and Sunday at our facility. On any given night we can have over 100 participants and that number increases when you take into consideration parents and guardians. At weekends we have at least 200 playing participants excluding coaches and spectators. When our first team is at home we can have 40 players plus coaching staff, committees and 500 spectators. The need for a defibrillator is significant as we have young children from age 6 to grandparents and supporters in their 70s. With all of this taken into consideration a defibrillator would be a massive help in keeping someone alive while we wait on medical staff arriving."

Applications are welcomed from community groups and clubs based in East Ayrshire who would like to benefit from this equipment. Further details on how the initiative works and how to apply can be found on the East Ayrshire Council Website including a fill list of locations of current defibrillators in East Ayrshire, how to register your defibrillator and information on how to use and maintain the equipment. The Council will also be working in partnership with Scottish Fire Rescue Services (SFRS) to deliver free CPR training to any community group or organisation who needs it. Community groups who have been successful in their application should receive their equipment over the summer months.  

For more information please contact: healthandsafety@east-ayrshire.gov.uk.