COMMUNITY
ABCD committee members and volunteers pictured at this year’s Oban Charities Day. 15_t24char03
And the beat goes on L
IKE the steady beat of a healthy heart, Argyll Beats Cardiovascular Disease (ABCD) diligently carries out its essential work, without making too much fuss. Yet the heart disease charity has now raised a staggering £150,000 in the Argyll area since its inception 11 years ago and continues to actively promote health and well-being in the area by at- tending public events and funding various causes that share its aims.
One of its main events of the year is the ABCD 10K and Fun Run, held in Oban every May, which en- courages people to train in the lead up to the event and therefore live healthier lifestyles. It has also backed the cycle path between Gana- van and Appin, on which it has erected a number of benches, and each year awards the Jimmy Donn Memorial Trophy to an individual or group who has supported the charity – this year it was the organising committee of the Lorn Vintage Plough- ing Match.
But it is perhaps the work behind the scenes that takes up most of ABCD’s resources and effort.
36
The committee of 14 is well balanced with seven health professionals and seven lay members to make sure the money raised is well distributed over a variety of causes.
As well as funding sports clubs, outdoor projects and health awareness days the charity has invest- ed heavily in medical equipment and health service staff training.
Committee member Dr Andy Henderson ex- plained: ‘The Argyll outreach cardiac ultrasound service is one of the ventures we are most pleased with. ‘We obtained money from the Big Lottery fund in 2002 to allow us to buy a new portable ultrasound machine so that we could provide a cardiac ultra- sound service to some of the more rural patients in Argyll, thus saving many people the need to travel to Oban to have the test. ‘ABCD paid for the salary of the cardiac techni- cian and the associated travelling costs for the trial period, we were able to show the health board that our scheme not only worked well, but
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44