Dad’ s death prompts drive to put life-saving equipment in villages

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Such was the amazing response, we can now install four at strategic points round the glen

father-of-two’s sudden death prompted a community campaign to install lifesaving equipment across Perthshire.

Defibrillators have now been installed in four rural villages following a fundraising drive started by Lindsey Goring, whose husband Olly O’grady died suddenly last year after suffering a cardiac arrest as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition.

Olly was a highly respected landscape archeologist, medievalist, researcher and lecturer who managed and directed Perthshire-based OJT Heritage. He worked on many projects including investigations at Scone Palace, St Serfs, geophysical survey and excavation at Fortingall and work at the Howff in Dundee.

The new defibrillators at Buchanty, Harrietfield, Chapelhill and outside Glenalmond College can be accessed by the public during a medical emergency.

Available 24 hours a day, they were put up by community leaders alongside charity St John Scotland. Glenalmond and

Logiealmond locals raised the required £6,000 to deliver the resources in the area.

Amanda Farquhar, who worked with locals to raise funds, said: “This project was sparked by Lindsey Goring, whose lovely partner and father of their two sons, Olly O’grady, died unexpectedly last year.

“We started aiming for one defibrillator but, such was the amazing response of the community, we can now install four at strategic points round the glen.

“Our aim was to ensure that the vast majority of our residents were within about 1.5 miles of a defibrillator, which we are very close to achieving.

“As a rural community, we are well aware of the heightened risk to us all in the event of a cardiac arrest.”

Janice Webster chairwoman of St John Scotland’s Perth and Kinross Committee, said: “We’re incredibly impressed by the huge community effort in Logiealmond and Glenalmond to raise funds for this project.

“There is no doubt that this will save and improve lives.”

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Olly O’grady, left, and Amanda Farquhar and Janice Webster from St John Scotland with one of the defibrillators.