The project to co-ordinate, purchase and install has been a collaboration project following three separate independent city businesses individually raising and donating funds to purchase and install the equipment.

An initial approach to Inverness City Centre BID to assist them in their quest led to them enlisting the support of The Victorian Market, Highland Council, their Roads and Street Lighting departments, and the Inverness Common Good Fund, who agreed to purchase a further two complete units.

Each unit costs £1,750 and has been supplied by Lucky2BHere who are based in Portree, Skye.

Each of the following independent businesses contributed sufficient funds for the purchase and ongoing maintenance of a complete Defibrillator Unit and Cabinet each:

• Duncan Fraser and John Munro Butchers, Queensgate
• Hastie & Dyce Butcher, Queensgate, Victorian Market
• Cru Holdings Ltd who operate a number of Licensed Premises in the City Centre, including Bar One, The Keg, The Whitehouse and Scotch & Rye.

A further two Units have been purchased by the Inverness Common Good Fund.

This strategic coverage of this vital lifesaving equipment for the city centre empowers and enables the community and businesses to manage a life-threatening situation, should the need arise. All units are registered with the Ambulance Service, and the supplying Lucky2BHere Charity, who can advise any 999 caller where they are located in an emergency, so that lifesaving action can be taken before medical personnel arrive.

The Defibrillator Units will be located at the following key locations chosen because of careful consideration of footfall and ease of access these being:

• Corner of Church Street and School Lane (Sponsor - Duncan Fraser and John Munro Butchers)
• Queensgate Arcade entrance to the Victorian Market (Sponsor - Hastie & Dyce Butcher)
• Union Street entrance to the Victorian Market (Sponsor - Inverness Common Good Fund)
• Academy Street/Falcon Square near to the Pedestrian Crossing (Sponsor - Cru Holdings Ltd)
• Castle Wynd/Bridge Street Corner (Sponsor - Inverness Common Good Fund)

The Highland Council Roads and Street Lighting departments have co-ordinated the installation and electrical supply to these new units. The sites that have been selected to cover the city centre effectively whereby should an incident arise access to a unit could be less than a minute away and are available to the public 24 hours a day contained within easily accessible hi-viz cabinets at key locations.

Councillor Glynis Sinclair, Provost of Inverness, said: “With the Victorian Market and the Town House being in such key sites within the city centre, surrounded by many types of businesses, residential buildings, and an attraction for tourists, it was obvious that they should have public access defibrillator units. With the support of Inverness Common Good Funding and businesses we now have the comfort of knowing that life-threatening situations can be managed quickly and effectively in the city centre.”

John McDonald, from Inverness City Centre BID, added: “Our thanks must go to the individual local independent businesses who raised funds and provided corporate donations to finance the purchase of these lifesaving AED/PAD Unit, and I was delighted to get involved and play a part in co-ordinating the project with assistance from the Lucky2BHere Charity, and gaining the support of Highland Council, Inverness Common Good Fund, and the Victorian Market, to provide a further two fully equipped Defibrillator Units at strategic locations across the City Centre. The provision of this vital 24/7 accessible life saving devices will ensure that anyone suffering from cardiac arrest in our City centre will have the best opportunity for survival.”