TAYLOR Wimpey East Scotland has donated a public access defibrillator (PAD) to Winchburgh Community Growing Group, which will be accessible 24 hours a day at the group’s community garden in Auldcathie Park.
As part of a joint initiative with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the housebuilder is donating potentially life-saving PADs to communities around the UK to help people who suffer from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest.
During 2019, the BHF worked with Taylor Wimpey to train its employees in CPR skills and provide every one of its building sites in the UK with a defibrillator. The firm is donating the defibrillators to local communities once developments are completed.
Taylor Wimpey has also committed to ensuring all of its defibrillators are registered on The Circuit, the national defibrillator network, which is a joint venture from the British Heart Foundation, the Association of Ambulance Chief Executives, the Resuscitation Council UK and St John Ambulance. Data on defibrillators registered on The Circuit are visible on the despatch systems used by 999 call handlers. So, when a cardiac arrest occurs, the dispatcher can direct bystanders straight to the nearest defibrillator.
Peter Goldie, regional health, safety and environmental advisor for Taylor Wimpey East Scotland, said, “It’s so important to us that we give something back to the communities where we are building. Our partnership with the BHF is vitally important in helping to ensure that more defibrillators are available for people who might need them, and we are proud to be able to make this equipment readily accessible in Winchburgh.”
John West, who heads up Winchburgh Community Growing Group, added, “Along with everyone who accesses the community garden and the wider Auldcathie District Park, we are very grateful to Taylor Wimpey East Scotland for their generous gift of the defibrillator for the benefit of the club, its members and the wider community of our village. We are also delighted to have received financial support from the Winchburgh Development Trust to install a wind turbine that will provide power to the defibrillator and its cabinet, as well as our office and greenhouse facilities in the community garden.”
David McColgan, head of BHF Scotland, commented, “Every second counts when someone has a cardiac arrest, and we know that prompt CPR and defibrillation can double the chances of survival in some cases. Increasing the number of publicly accessible defibrillators in our communities – alongside more of us learning CPR skills – can play a vital role in these critical moments. That is why we are delighted that Taylor Wimpey has contributed to the aims of the BHF by making a public access defibrillator available in the Bathgate area as part of their wider local campaign. It could help save a life.”
