A CLACKS football team had a busy summer break as they raised funds to pay for CPR training and install defibrillators in locations the club train and play.

Alloa Saints changed their immediate priorities for fund raising and instead set out a major ambition after witnessing Christian Eriksen’s collapse on June 12 at the European Championship in Copenhagen.

The club aimed to help protect the players and families in the club by providing every player and family member with free lifesaving cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) skills and to buy portable defibs for our teams and install public access defibrillators in locations that the club train and play in the area.

Club chairman Paul Robertson said: “Like everyone, we were shocked when we saw what happened on the television. We thought what would happen if that was to happen to any of our kids and that’s when we started to review our processes.”

Alloa Saints train at Clackmannan County Cricket’s pitch and play games there on a Saturday throughout summer, however the nearest defibrillator is at least a mile away.

Paul continued: “The response from kids and their parents has been absolutely incredible. We put on Facebook what the suggestion was and we immediately had a massive buy-in.

“The response has been excellent so we’re really happy with that.”

That first aim is nearing fruition with thanks to the Scottish Football Partnership Trust and their charity partners Kilpatrick Fraser Charitable Trust who donated a portable defibrillator for the Arns cricket ground where the club have been training and playing matches.

Thanks to additional fund raising by the club and the award of a Tesco grant, Alloa Saints also purchased a club defibrillator and, in association with the Forth Valley First Responders, will be installing a new public access box for the defibrillator at the Arns Cricket ground.

With two defibrillators already purchased the club do not intend to relax and have set a goal of raising £5,000 over the coming weeks to help buy additional defibrillators and arrange training for all players and families in how to use them as well as providing CPR training.

Players and associates will be completing either a sponsored walk between Alloa and Cambus or a more ambitious climb up Dumyat next month and Paul will be attempting both on August 8 and 15.

"I've never climbed Dumyat in my life," Paul said. "So it's going to be an experience."

Visit tinyurl.com/5kuf3j8k to donate to the fundraiser.