Garden centre staff in bike ride for defibrillators

GARDEN centre staff are pedalling across the UK to raise money for our appeal to install life-saving defibrillators in Lothian sports clubs.

Dobbies staff are aiming to raise cash for defibrillators. Picture: Neil Hanna

Four staff members from Dobbies Melville hopped into the saddle on Sunday for the first leg of the 2000-mile circuit across the UK, where colleagues will cycle from centre to centre to mark the firm’s 150th anniversary this June.

The team – Jenny Greaves, Craig Hamilton, Dougie White and Broughan Ellis – made it to Livingston where they passed on the baton.

Dobbies Melville is the first organisation to choose the Jamie Skinner Foundation (JSF) as its charity of the year, and the team hopes to raise £800 through the gruelling challenge.

The charity was set up by the family of 13-year-old Jamie Skinner, who suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while making his debut for Tynecastle FC in 2013.

His sister, Sonia McCraw, who was there to wave the cyclists off, said she was delighted that Dobbies was raising the charity’s profile.

She said: “We couldn’t believe it when we found out, it is such a big challenge for people to take on. It’s not just the money, but people will be asking them what the JSF is and they will be able to tell them about what we are trying to do.

“It’s so nice that people are taking the message on board.”

The 21-day ride will visit all 35 Dobbies branches across the nation before finishing up at the Edinburgh store.

Jayne Kirkpatrick, community champion at Dobbies Melville, said: “People remember Jamie’s story and if we can support the foundation so measures are put in place for this not to happen again then we would be very proud.”

The JSF teamed up with the Evening News for our Shockingly Easy campaign in July, which has already raised enough to buy 18 defibrillators.

To support the Dobbies bike ride, please visit www.justgiving.com/companyteams/dobbiesmelville.