A PROJECT that aims to place defibrillators for public access outside every butchers shop in Scotland has been recognised with a national award.

The Butchers At The Heart of The Community campaign was launched by Scottish Craft Butchers in June this year, following on the success of a groundbreaking project started in Kinross by local butcher Hunters.

Pamela and Iain Hunter came up with the idea after one of their customers died of a cardiac arrest while on holiday when a defibrillator was not available and CPR was not administered. Having asked themselves what they would do if someone in or around their High Street shop required assistance, their reaction was to start fund raising to place a life saving defibrillator on the wall outside their shop.

Staff training followed on how to use the equipment and how to give CPR. Pamela felt passionately that other butchers should provide the same equipment. She travelled the country attending Scottish Craft Butchers regional meetings to explain the campaign and so far has persuaded over 80 other butchers shops to copy the Kinross initiative.

More than twenty defibrillators have already been installed and Scottish Craft Butchers shops are still co-ordinating fund raising and training to expand the access to this life saving equipment.

Pamela and Zara Habberley from Hunters attended a meat industry lunch in County Hall, London on Monday November 5, where the initiative was awarded the Innovation Award at the UK Butchers Shop of the Year awards.