Hello,

My name is Karen and I am fund raising on behalf of the Letham and District Community Council (LDCC). One of our LDCC objectives is to provide and maintain defibrillators within our community for the use and benefit of everyone in our community.

Around 70 people each week have a cardiac arrest at home in Scotland (St Johns Ambulance). As a nurse I am well aware of the benefits of early intervention when people take unwell suddenly and I am sure most people will have a family member or friend who has suffered a cardiac arrest. A defibrillator can make all the difference in these situations, especially in a rural location when professional help may take some time.

Currently in Letham we have 3 defibrillators, one in the square which is accessible 24 hrs, one in the Keystore and one at Davidsons the chemist, however the latter two are only accessible during business hours. It is our ambition at the LDCC to have all 3 accessible 24 hrs a day. We would also like to widen availability to some of the smaller communities within our district like Craichie and Bowriefauld.

Our initial target is £1325 which will get us 1 defibrillator and 2 outdoor cabinets, we have very generously been supported by the Football trust and Davidsons chemist’s with donations towards this cause, however all donations above our target will be held in the defibrillator account of the LDCC and used to maintain the current equipment, replace batteries and AED pads when required to ensure this vital equipment is available at the time of need and hopefully buy more defibrillators and cabinets if finances allow.

We would really appreciate any donation you can offer and if you are not in a position to donate then we would really appreciate a share on social media so we can spread this message as far as possible.

If you don’t have access or ability to make an online donation but wish to contribute you can discuss with any of the LDCC committee members.

THANK YOU for taking the time to read our story!