The Courier & Advertiser (Perth and Perthshire Edition)
Home blood pressure kit will save lives
Dundee Rotary Club and the Guildry have co-operated a £10,000 mission to help people with high blood pressure.
Each has donated £5,000 for hundreds of home blood pressure monitors.
Cardiovascular experts say it will help those affected by the country’s most common long-term health condition.
The rotary contribution comes from the club’s £100,000 Centenary Fund.
Officials said they are delighted the guildry, a charitable institution begun in the 13th Century, has matched the funding.
One of the targets for the rotary club’s centenary fund projects is health.
Another objective is that any project should have a high enough profile to attract funding from other charities and organisations.
Undiagnosed or undertreated hypertension is a significant risk factor for heart attacks and strokes.
Home monitors allow early alerts and treatment.
In pursuit of a joint healthcare project, the rotary club and guildry spoke to Isla Mackenzie, professor of cardiovascular medicine at Dundee University.
She said: “Providing blood pressure monitors that people with high blood pressure can use themselves at home is really important.
“They help people understand changes in their blood pressure in response to lifestyle changes or medications, and they help them to
know when to seek additional medical advice.
It is often better to base diagnosis on home readings rather than in a clinical environment as this gives a better indication of usual blood pressure levels.
“This is a wonderful initiative from which people with high blood pressure will hugely benefit.”
Dundee Health and Social Care Partnership primary care programme manager Nicola Stevens, who submitted the bid, said: “I am absolutely delighted that the people of Dundee will benefit from these home blood pressure monitors.
“These monitors will be available through Dundee
GP practices and community nurses to those who require regular monitoring at home.”
Dundee Rotary Club president Clive Murray said: “Through the combined efforts of rotary, guildry and health professionals, we are delighted that another of our centenary projects can be implemented.”
Fans, players and managers of Arbroath FC have been immortalised in their club’s history. The names of more than 1,000 people connected with the club have been engraved on a wall of bricks in an effort to keep the team afloat during lockdown.
The idea has been so successful that it has raised almost £100,000 for club funds.
Among those forever remembered on the wall at their home ground, Gayfield, is the club’s longest serving manager Albert Henderson.
Albert was manager for
17 years and four months, from September 1962 until January 1980.
Daughter Carol McKenzie said she was proud to see her dad’s name on the wall.
Carol said: “The wall looks fantastic and it’s great to see so many names on it, including my dad’s.”
Current Arbroath forward Gavin Swankie, whose three sons, Rio, Kody and Cruz, all have bricks said: “The wall looks good and it has raised so much money.”
Club chairman Mike Caird said: “This has been an amazing idea and project.
“We had spoken about it for some time and when
lockdown was first declared we decided this would be the ideal time to do it.”
There are 1,094 names on the wall, on locally-made bricks, raising almost £100,000 for the club.
The wall was the brain child of club director Brian Cargill.
Brian said: “There has been a fantastic response to the wall with people getting in touch from all over the world to buy bricks and have their names included.”
He added: “The supporters’ wall concept came as an idea to help the club through this global pandemic that has changed the world and everyone’s daily life.
“However, it has grown into so much more. The wall celebrates those loved ones we have lost, anniversaries, birthdays, parents, sons, daughters, best friends and so many more.”
Brian added: “Every name there has an association with our club and we hope when we are able to return to normality it will be the first thing people see as they come through the turnstiles and enter Gayfield.
“These bricks and subsequent donations have helped steer the club through one of the most challenging periods in our history.”