PEOPLE will have the opportunity to learn potentially life-saving skills during a community event being held this weekend.

Over the last few months, groups and organisations in Clackmannanshire have been placing Automated External Defibrillators (AED) in villages and towns.

Earlier this year, Tillicoultry, Coalsnaughton & Devonside Community Council announced it would be looking into establishing a Public Access Defibrillator (PAD) in Tillicoultry.

Now, it will unveil the vital equipment on Saturday, which coincides with some free training sessions for members of the public.

The Forth Valley Responders will be delivering tuition and they have long been promoting the need for AEDs in the community.

Just last year, the highly-trained volunteers teamed up with the Alloa Town Centre Business Improvement District (BID) to bring one to Alloa.

The unit, which responds to 999 calls before the arrival of an ambulance service, will be at the Centenary Hall for training sessions, running from 1-2pm for shopkeepers and 2-4pm for others.

Local man Nigel Campbell will be on hand to show people the ropes and is keen to stress there is no need to fear CPR or defibrillators.

He has highlighted how they can help in the chain of survival – early access, early CPR, early defibrillation and early advanced care – to help someone suffering from a cardiac arrest.

Nigel, who is also part of Tillicoultry Fire Station, will be joined by members of other organisations, call-outs permitting.

He said: "As a group, we're really happy to help and get involved – it's my local community and it's good to see these things taking place.

"We will give demonstrations on CPR and the use of the defibrillator and then people are welcome to come and actually practise with the training kit."

Nigel, who has personal experience of this, having lost a brother-in-law to a cardiac arrest, hopes to see a number of people turn up on the day.

And the event is open to both adults and youngsters – the Responders will be more than happy to speak to children who attend with their parents.

A defibrillator is a device that gives an electric shock to someone who is in cardiac arrest and PADs are situated in public places to ensure people can use them in an emergency.

The cabinet in Tilly will have a key code accessed by calling 999, ensuring the device remains secure, and there will be a medic on the phone to talk individuals through the process.

Ian Millar, of the community council, said: "When we discussed installing an AED in Tillicoulty, lots of people said they would like to learn on how to do CPR, and as Nigel, from FVFR, had already offered to do training for us, it made sense to offer training to members of the public.

“By doing so this could save someone’s life."