The Comhairle has have teamed up with Skye-
Tony Wade, CnES's sports facilities services manager said: 'We have been working with Ross Cowie and the Lucky2Bhere team in Skye for some time and I am delighted that they have agreed to support the project.
“Ross is an inspirational personality who drives the charity forward whilst confronting a serious heart condition himself. We hope his story and the installation of the machines will kick start a process that will include young people and our communities getting involved with learning about emergency life support.”
Lucky2Bhere volunteers, who are often highly qualified health care professionals, will deliver a training session for instructors to teach adults and school children some of the key techniques in saving lives in an emergency.
Tony said: "We will be installing machines at Castlebay Sports Centre in Barra, Lionacleit Sports Centre in Benbecula, Shawbost and Lionel Community Schools in Lewis and at Smith Avenue Outdoor Facility in Stornoway. This is in addition to the device that is already available at Ionad Spòrs Leòdhais.
“Our lifeguards are trained in the use of these devices and we hope to have them operational as soon as possible. There is also a machine for use at the Nicolson Institute in Stornoway, our largest secondary school. The next stage of the project will be to hold a training session in Lewis and start to spread the skills out into the community.
“People can be apprehensive about using a defibrillator but once the training has been provided and they understand how the machine effectively talks you through the process, they gain confidence really quickly."
Ross Cowie said "We are delighted to support this important project. It has been proven that defibrillators can make the difference between life and death. We hope this is the start of a long and potentially lifesaving relationship with the Outer Hebrides."
