A north-east primary school which spent more than a year raising money for life-saving equipment celebrated the culmination of their efforts yesterday.
Pupils, teachers and community groups had worked together to raise £2,000 to install a defibrillator at Hillside Primary School in Portlethen.
Children at the school were inspired to buy the appliance for the community following the sudden death of 14-year-old Zaine Grieve in June, 2018.
The Portlethen Academy pupil died after falling and injuring himself a few hundred yards from Hillside School.
Some of the children’s families had also been saved by defibrillators, while others had seen them used on television.
When deciding on a charity project, pupils came up with the idea to hold community cafes and use the cash they raised to pay for the equipment.
Now Zaine’s legacy will live on as the ribbon was cut on the new defibrillator at yesterday’s opening ceremony.
Pupils watched on in the school library as speeches were given by Gillian Owen, chairwoman of Aberdeenshire Council’s education committee, director of education Laurence Findlay, and Hillside School head teacher Lesley-Anne Munro.
Local councillor Alison Evison said: “The Hillside School community and their friends have responded to very sad circumstances by coming together to get a defibrillator installed.
“This is a very important piece of equipment for the area which could make a real difference to individual lives.
“They have done fantastic work.”
