And now the town is set to receive a public access defibrillator thanks to the charitable efforts of Lochmaben native Andrew Boyd, 24, and the Dumfries Rotary Club.
Andrew recently cycled from Land’s End to John O’Groats to raise money for Chest Heart and Stroke Scotland (CHSS) in memory of his father Derek Boyd who passed away in 2013 following a cardiac arrest.
Derek was passionate about cycling and his family which inspired Andrew to take on the nearly 900-mile-long challenge in his honour raising almost £4000.
Andrew said: “I wanted to take on a challenge in memory of my dad and so organised the cycle inspired by his passion for cycling.
“I couldn’t have completed it without the support of my friends and family, especially my mum who drove the route as my support vehicle. I am so grateful for everyone who donated and am happy to be able to help provide this vital equipment to Lochmaben.”
HMP Dumfries prison officer Andrew has teamed up with The Community and Vocational Committee of The Dumfries Rotary Club who have been fundraising for the last year.
By combining forces they are now able to provide two public access defibrillators in the region: one outside the Cairndale Hotel, Dumfries, and the second will be outside the Lochmaben Medical Practice from next Thursday, January 19.
Louise Smith who led the fundraising campaign for the Dumfries Rotary Club said: “We have worked closely with CHSS and the community to deliver these potentially lifesaving pieces of emergency equipment for the area and are very pleased that we are now ready to implement.
“We are also very grateful to the Lochmaben Medical Practice who have generously offered to host the location of the defibrillator and ensure ongoing due diligence.”
The defibrillator will be officially unveiled next Thursday at the medical hub, complete with plaque.
Andrew added: “I would like to give a special thanks to David Paisley Electrical, a local electrician from Lochmaben, for the fitting of the defibrillator and plaque free of charge.”
■ FREE CPR and defibrillator training will take place in Lochmaben on the day with two sessions planned, each accommodating 20 people. The morning session will run from 10.30 am to 12.30 pm and the afternoon session will run from 2 pm to4pm. Training will be provided by Lucky2BHere and HeartStart. Anyone interested in attending either of these training can contact Louise or Andrew by email: [email protected] or [email protected].
