Taylor Wimpey donates lifesaving defibrillator in Lasswade

Taylor Wimpey East Scotland has donated a public access defibrillator (PAD) to the Lasswade Centre to benefit the wider community living near the community centre in Bonnyrigg.
Deryck Schendel from Taylor Wimpey presents the defibrillator to Councillor Derek MilliganDeryck Schendel from Taylor Wimpey presents the defibrillator to Councillor Derek Milligan
Deryck Schendel from Taylor Wimpey presents the defibrillator to Councillor Derek Milligan

As part of a joint initiative with the British Heart Foundation (BHF), the home builder is donating potentially life-saving PADs to communities around the UK to help people who suffer from an out-of- hospital cardiac arrest.

During 2019, the BHF supported Taylor Wimpey to train its employees in CPR skills and provide every one of their building sites in the UK with a defibrillator.

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As part of its commitment to leaving a lasting legacy in the areas in which it builds, Taylor Wimpey is donating the defibrillators to local communities when their developments are completed.

As part of its commitment to Midlothian, the local communities in Lasswade and Bonnyrigg are the latest to be gifted a PAD.

Deryck Schendel, regional health and safety advisor for Taylor Wimpey in Scotland, said: “It’s so important to us that we give something back to the communities in which we’re building.

"Our partnership with the BHF is vitally important in helping to ensure that more defibrillators are available for people who might need them, and we are proud to be able to make this equipment accessible to the Lasswade Centre.”

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Midlothian Council leader Derek Milligan added: “I’m delighted Taylor Wimpey approved my nomination of the Lasswade Centre to receive this defibrillator.

"We can’t thank them enough for this potentially life-saving equipment. While we hope we don’t have to use it, it’s fantastic to know our trained staff can access a defibrillator in the event of an emergency.”

Estelle Stephenson, survival programme lead at the BHF said: “We are delighted that Taylor Wimpey has contributed to the aims of the BHF by making a public access defibrillator available to the Lasswade Centre.

“A cardiac arrest is the most serious medical emergency. Every minute without CPR and defibrillation reduces a person’s chance of surviving by around 10 per cent, but calling 999, starting immediate hands-only CPR and using a defibrillator can significantly increase their chances of survival."