News
Thursday 16th september 2021

We donate lifesaving defibrillator in Bonnyrigg

We have donated a public access defibrillator (PAD) to the Lasswade Centre to benefit the community living near the community centre in Bonnyrigg.

bonnyrigg defib team
As part of a joint initiative with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), we are donating potentially life-saving PADs to communities around the UK to help people who suffer from an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. 

Deryck Schendel (TW health & safety advisor) and Pauline Mills (Land & Planning Director) were joined by Allan Blair, Sports & Physical Activity Team Leader and Ben Robertson from Lasswade Centre, along with Councillor and Leader of Midlothian Council Derek Milligan to hand over a new defibrillator to Lasswade Centre.

A life saving donation

During 2019, the BHF supported Taylor Wimpey to train its employees in CPR skills and provide every one of their building sites in the UK with a defibrillator. As part of its commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in the areas in which we build, we are donating the defibrillators to local communities when our developments are completed. As part of its commitment to Midlothian, the local communities in Lasswade and Bonnyrigg are the latest to be gifted a PAD.

Deryck Schendel, Regional Health and Safety Advisor for Taylor Wimpey in Scotland, said: “It’s so important to us that we give something back to the communities in which we’re 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 accessible to the Lasswade Centre.
bonnyrigg defib team
Council Leader Councillor Derek Milligan said: “I’m delighted Taylor Wimpey approved my nomination of the Lasswade Centre to receive this defibrillator. We can’t thank them enough for this potentially life-saving equipment. While we hope we don’t have to use it, it’s fantastic to know our trained staff can access a defibrillator in the event of an emergency.”
 
Estelle Stephenson, Survival Programme Lead at the British Heart Foundation said: “We are delighted that Taylor Wimpey has contributed to the aims of the BHF by making a public access defibrillator available to the Lasswade Centre.  
“A cardiac arrest is the most serious medical emergency. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of surviving by around 10 per cent, but calling 999, starting immediate hands-only CPR and using a defibrillator can significantly increase their chances of survival.
 
“During the pandemic it is essential that these steps are still taken to help save someone’s life and there are some simple measures you can take to keep yourself safe so please don’t hesitate to help someone in need. Find up to date guidance on the BHF website."
 

What is a defibrillator?

A defibrillator is a portable device that can be used by anyone to help restart the heart when someone suffers from a cardiac arrest and has stopped breathing. No specific training is needed and the device will only deliver a shock to the heart if necessary. When someone has a cardiac arrest, every second counts. For every minute that passes without defibrillation and CPR the chances of survival decrease by around ten per cent.

For more information on CPR, defibrillators and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, or how you can help BHF create a Nation of Lifesavers, visit www.bhf.org.uk/cpr.
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