A COMMUNITY effort has seen potentially life-saving pieces of equipment installed in Wool.

The Wool and Bovington Scout Group, part of the Wareham and Isle of Purbeck District, co-ordinated the project to raise funds to purchase two public access Automatic External Defibrillators.

After successfully achieving the required funding, the two units have now been installed – one at Wool Library at the D’Urberville Centre in Colliers Lane and one at Cafe Bijou at the Wooldbridge Business Centre opposite Station Garage.

This means there is one unit either side of the railway line

The AEDs are located on outside walls and are accessible 24 hours a day as well as being protected by CCTV.

They are operated in conjunction with the South West Ambulance Trust so in an emergency members of the public should call 999 and the operator will direct them to the nearest AED and give them a code to access the box.

They are therefore working under instruction from the NHS and are covered by their insurance.

The operator will provide instructions while the units also tell users what to do so no training is needed to use the equipment effectively.

The units also monitor and record what is being done to ensure everything is effective.

The scouts have also been able to purchase a training module and plan to arrange a familiarisation session for any interested residents.

Details will be advertise on the Wool and Bovington Scout Group website at woolandbovingtonscouts.btck.co.uk

Group scout leader for the Wool and Bovington Scout Group Tim Alford said: “On behalf of the community, Wool and Bovington Scout Group would like say a massive thank you to the very generous donations received from Purbeck Shooting School, The Cutting Crew hairdressers, funding one unit, and Wool Surgery Charity fund, the very kind donations from BLEST (Bovington and Lulworth Employees Support Team), Chamber Property Care Ltd, Wool and Bovington Scout Group, AED Locators, and Alford Time Repair, for funding the other unit.

“Also to Wool Parish Council and Voyce Lettings for allowing the units to be located on their buildings and providing power, and CCTV, and finally Purbeck Electrical Contracting Ltd for carrying out the electrical installation.”