Defibrillator installed at Duffus Village Hall courtesy of Keiran's Legacy
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A DEFIBRILLATOR donated by Keiran's Legacy has been installed and unveiled at Duffus Village Hall.
The installation was due to go ahead in March but was delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic and the ensuing lockdown.
Duffus already has one defibrillator – but the town's village hall chairman John Patterson believes having one at the hall could save vital minutes in case of emergency.
Mr Patterson said: "We have a defibrillator at the post office which has been in place for a number of years but the battery went flat.
"Batteries are quite expensive so the village hall had a coffee morning to raise funds.
"We invited Sandra McKandie from Keiran's Legacy to give a presentation on defibrillators. The coffee morning went really well and was one of the best we have ever had.
"We made enough money to buy a battery and pads for the existing defibrillator and had money left to make a donation to Keiran's Legacy.
"I mentioned to Sandra about wanting a defibrillator at the hall and Keiran's Legacy said a week later that they would donate one. We paid for the installation.
"Having it at the hall will save five to ten minutes, which could be crucial. I would recommend every village hall gets a defibrillator if possible. It could potentially be a life saver."
While lockdown has meant the village hall has been closed, it is usually booked up by different groups.
The hall is used for country dancing, indoor bowls, yoga classes, dog training, children's parties, weddings, anniversary parties and training days among other activities.
Sandra McKandie, who co-founded Keiran's Legacy with her husband Gordon after the death of her son in 2016, said she hopes the defibrillator will make Duffus "more resilient".
She added: "Lots of different groups use the hall and you never know when emergency situations will arise.
"We have got defibrillators equipped at quite a few village halls recently – these are the heart of the local community. If we can help and they can be better equipped then that's fantastic.
"Duffus is a fantastic little community. Hopefully they won't ever need to use the defibrillator but if they do need to then it's there.
"Hopefully this will help to save lives and make the community more resilient."
Mrs McKandie said that learning how to use a defibrillator is even more important during the coronavirus pandemic.
If you are interested in learning more about Keiran's Legacy or having a defibrillator installed then you can get in touch with the charity at keiranslegacy@outlook.com or via their website at www.keiranslegacy.co.uk.
The charity are willing to help out right across the north of Scotland and further afield.
