Bid to buy life-saving device

A Mearns group has launched an appeal to raise funds to buy a defibrillator for the community.

Members of the Fettercairn School Parent Council are behind the project, which hopes to collect £2,500 towards the purchase of the life-saving device.

It is hoped the defibrillator could be stored in the BT phone box in the village square, which would be converted for the purpose.

Helene Campbell, one of the committee members, said: “If you were going over the Cairn o’ Mount road and something happened, I think it would be pretty helpful from a life-saving side of things to have the defibrillator in Fettercairn.”

The idea has been in the works for a couple of years, but it was recently decided to push forward with fundraising after children at the school received first aid lessons, which included guidance on the importance of defibrillators.

Members of the parent council committee decided to step up and take the reins and have been looking into the process for taking over the phone box.

Helene said it would be a real boon to the community.

“There are defibrillators in Laurencekirk and Auchenblae, but trying to drive there and concentrate when you’re panicking is difficult,” she said.

“It would be nice to have that as a little back-up, something you’d be able to get to within 15 minutes.”

To donate to the fundraiser visit bit.ly/2dmmger