A CLACKS youth football team is aiming to raise awareness of their public-use defibrillator, after it was revealed up the majority of primary schools in the county did not have access to them.

As reported by the Advertiser last week, 16 primary schools in Clackmannanshire did not have a defibrillator on site, prompting concern from local MSPs.

Now, Alloa Saints FC have issued a reminder of their on-site facilities, informing nearby primary schools that a defibrillator is close should they need one.

Over the past two years, the club has been adding to their life-saving equipment, while also installing a public access defibrillator for anyone to use.

Paul Robertson, chairman for Alloa Saints FC, explained that the club would like to make people aware of the equipment they offer.

He said: “It all happened after Christian Eriksen collapsed at the Denmark game at the Euros, so the club set out to ensure they had access.

“We were aware that there wasn’t one at the public park where we were training, the nearest would’ve been about a mile away in the town centre.

“So, we set out to getting our own and now we have nine defibrillators, with all of our teams from 2010 to 2015 possessing their own defib.

“We also have one at training at all time, and a public access one down by the cricket club. We wanted to raise awareness to Redwell Primary, Little Stars Nursery and the Caledonia Campus that there is a defibrillator nearby for them to use.”

This awareness campaign was backed by Alexander Stewart, MSP for Mid-Scotland and Fife, who initially raised concern for the lack of defibrillators to Scottish Parliament.

Mr Stewart, who also serves as the co-convener of the parliament’s Cross Party Group (CPG) on heart and circulatory diseases, lodged a parliamentary motion commending Paul for his and his team’s work.

He said: “I was delighted to receive an email from Paul Robertson, chair of Alloa Saints, updating me on their current work with defibrillators.

“I welcome the news that Alloa Saints FC now have nine defibrillators in teams within the club and that they have sited a public defibrillator at the Clackmannanshire County Cricket Club, within 500 metres of Redwell PS, the Caledonia Campus, and Little Stars Nursery.

“As Co-Convener of the Scottish Parliament’s Heart and Circulatory Diseases CPG, I know only too well about what can happen on sports fields, so to acknowledge this I have lodged a Parliamentary Motion in support of their fantastic work, plus I have replied to the email and I commend Mr Robertson, his staff as well as everyone at the club on their forward-thinking and highly magnanimous work in this regard.”

Paul also laid praise to the organisations who help them in providing them with the defibrillators.

He added: “We work closely with Forth Valley First Responders who look after the public defibrillators and provide first aid training for players and coaches who want it.

“We’re working on a programme to provide CPR training all across the club. We also work with a charity called London Hearts who provided one of the defibrillators for free.”