A defibrillator purchased following a fundraising initiative by generous walking footballers in the capital has been sited just outside Gorgie Farm below the bridge in Gorgie Road.
Players from established Edinburgh clubs Hearts, Oriam and Edinburgh City all contributed to the fund and regular player David Barr presented the defibrillator along with representatives from all three teams.
A plaque above reads presented by the Walking Footballers of Edinburgh.
Fundraising Chair of St John’s Scotland’s Edinburgh committee Lynn Cleal supplied the equipment on behalf of the St Johns Defibrillators in the City programme.
The easy-to-use units can prove vital in the event of someone suffering a heart attack and they have already been used to save lives.
Out of hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a significant healthcare challenge in Scotland. Approximately 3,500 people undergo attempted resuscitation each year after OHCA, but currently only around 1 in 20 survive to hospital discharge.
Defibrillation works in synergy with CPR, and is most effective the earlier it is performed. Delivering a defibrillatory electrical shock to the heart within 3-5 minutes of collapse can produce survival rates as high as 75%.
Defibrillators have already been placed in strategic sites, such as churches, community centres, bus and tram stops and train stations – known as Hosts – across Edinburgh, taking into account the volume of people in the immediate vicinity.
The money for this one was raised from the raffle of a football supplied by the SFA as well as personal donations.
Hearts owner Ann Budge drew the winning ticket and Peter Craig from ECWF won the ball.
Mr Barr who plays in goal for twice Scottish League champions Hearts 56 said: “I was delighted to present the defibrillator along with representatives of all three clubs.
“A couple of our guys have had their lives saved with one of these machines.
“This would not have been possible without the help of the lads selling the tickets at the various venues so a big thank you to Jimmy Bremner, Alan Thomson & David Fairgrieve.”
Players featured in the photos are David Barr, David Fairgrieve, Jimmy Bremner, Alan Thomson, Ewan Connolly, David Watson, Billy Brown and the oldest player in Britain Bert Cunningham who is due to turn 90 next month.
John graduated from Telford College in 2010 with an HNC in Practical Journalism and since then he worked for the North Edinburgh News, The Southern Reporter, the Irish News Review and The Edinburgh Reporter. In addition he has been published in the Edinburgh Evening News and the Hibernian FC Programme.
