Scottish Parliament recognition for congregation’s lifesaving work

An East Kilbride church has been recognised in the Scottish Parliament for buying a lifesaving defibrillator for its local community.

Members of Claremont Parish Church in the St Leonards area spent £1,400 on a fully-automated machine used to treat people suffering cardiac arrest.

It has been erected on a wall outside the church building on High Common Road to ensure it is easily accessible to help someone in need.

Every year in Scotland around 3,500 people go into cardiac arrest and starting CPR as soon as possible, using a defibrillator where one is available, gives the person the best chance of survival.

The machines administer a high energy electrical shock designed to return the heart back into a normal rhythm.

The money was raised at the congregation’s Spring Fayre in May.

Collette Stevenson, MSP for East Kilbride, lodged a motion at the Scottish Parliament to congratulate the church for its ongoing commitment to serve its community.

Supported by cross-party MSPs, the motion notes that only around one in 12 people survive ‘out-of-hospital’ cardiac arrest and considers that community defibrillators are “vitally important to saving lives”.

Helen Cuthbertson, an elder at Claremont Parish Church and organiser of the Spring Fayre, said: “In reaching out to the people of St Leonards, the congregation decided to use some of the funds we raised to buy a defibrillator for the church and community.

“Many groups and organisations use our church building on a daily basis and we were concerned that there wasn’t a defibrillator close enough by in case someone suffered cardiac arrest.

“Having one close by can save lives, therefore the machine has been placed on the outside of the church wall for easy access if needed.

“We are looking to train people to use it with the help of a St Johns Ambulance team.”

A total of £3,800 was raised at the Spring Fayre to fund the congregation’s mission activities.

Mrs Cuthbertson said the congregation also made a donation to a humanitarian charity called Mission Aviation Fellowship.

It flies light aircraft over jungles, mountains, swamps and deserts in some of the most remote and inaccessible parts of the world to enable more than 1,400 aid, development and mission organisations to bring medical care, emergency relief and long-term development to vulnerable people.