Residents at Earlsgate and the adjacent Barron House raised money for the defibrillator through fundraising events including extremely successful and well-attended coffee mornings. Kingdom Housing Association’s Community Initiatives Fund also contributed as did the defibrillator provider AED.

A defibrillator is a machine that is placed externally on the body and is used to give an electric shock when someone is in cardiac arrest. Prompt defibrillation can help save a person’s life.

The unit has also been added to the national defibrillator network known as ‘The Circuit’, run by the British Heart Foundation in partnership with the Ambulance Service, Resuscitation Council UK, NHS and St Johns Ambulance. In the event of an emergency call to 999, users will be directed to the nearest available AED unit by the ambulance service.

Dave Roy, health & safety officer at the Kingdom Group, said: “The defibrillator is located at the front entrance at Earlsgate and is available 24/7 to anyone who needs it, whether they live at Earlsgate and Barron House or not. Earlsgate is close to other homes and shops, so the whole community in Scone can benefit from this lifesaving equipment.

“Our mission at the Kingdom Group is to provide More Than A Home and we were delighted to support our customers with their fundraising goal and the installation of this life-saving defibrillator.”