The local community of Galashiels recently marked the installation of a new defibrillator, located on the external wall at The Salmon Inn, during a ceremonial ribbon cutting with young people from the town’s TD1 Youth Hub.
A defibrillator is a piece of life-saving equipment that is essential to trying to save someone in cardiac arrest. The new device in Galashiels town centre is accessible 24-7, with the team from The Salmon Inn providing the utilities and maintenance needed to keep it operational.
In a project led by Helen Calder from The Salmon Inn, the invaluable community asset has been made possible through the extraordinary support of various individuals and organisations from the town. Helen said: “I would like to express my deepest gratitude to everyone who contributed generously through our Just Giving campaign and give special thanks to Energise Galashiels Trust, The Focus Centre, the Scottish Building Society and TD1 Youth Hub. The support from those within our community is a testament to how much people care in Galashiels.”
Scottish HART, The Cameron Gunn Memorial Trust, and Kenneth Gunn were involved in the project, providing expertise in sourcing the correct equipment for the location.
As part of the project, local community members were invited to participate in a Defibrillator Familiarisation Session, hosted at MacArts, earlier in the year. Training officers from Life Support Scotland, Colin Baxter and George Miller, delivered the session to 80 individuals, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to save lives in emergencies.
Helen continued: “An inspiring highlight of the project was the involvement of the young people from the town. The support from everyone at TD1 Youth Hub was fantastic, so we felt it was fitting that a few group members were invited to cut the ribbon to mark the installation of the equipment.”
