Butchers across Scotland are uniting behind a campaign which will see them raising money for community defibrillators.

The idea behind the “Butchers at the Heart of the Community” initiative, supported by Scottish Craft Butchers, the Scotch Butchers Club and Save a Life Scotland was started by butcher Pamela Hunter, from Hunters of Kinross.

TV presenter Carol Smillie, a keen supporter of the Save a Life Scotland campaign, joined around 30 butchers from throughout Scotland to form a huge heart for photographers at the launch.

The main aim of the initiative is to help and encourage people living in communities throughout Scotland to be ready and confident in delivering cardio pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

Butchers across Scotland are being encouraged to pledge ‘I’m in’ and display collection tins in their shop to raise money for a local defibrillator to support the Butchers at the Heart of the Community campaign. Over 30 Scottish Butchers have so far signed up to the campaign. Save a Life for Scotland partners are available to support locally with CPR and defibrillation training.

The project is not only about providing a defibrillator to communities, but training for both staff and customers on how to use them and deliver CPR.

Alan Clarke, chief executive, QMS said: “Butchers throughout Scotland play a very important role in their communities and that really shines through in this initiative which could make a real impact and save lives. I am sure that butchers throughout Scotland will throw their weight behind this campaign.”

Douglas Scott, chief executive of Scottish Craft Butchers said: “This project is all about enabling butchers to save the lives of people in their community. Raising money to provide defibrillators and training staff on how to do CPR.

“We are not all experts in knowing what to do in cases of emergency. We need to dispel the fear caused by lack of knowledge. There is no need be a paramedic, we just need to know what to do and address lack of confidence.”

Douglas added: “Butchers care about their customers and this is just another example of how much they matter to them.”

Lisa MacInnes, director of the Save a Life Scotland campaign added: “Someone who is having a cardiac arrest needs immediate help, you cannot make the situation worse for them and so saving lives from cardiac arrest really does begin in the community.

“Our partners are proud to support the Scottish Craft Butchers network and their great campaign. Butchers are trusted, respected and are leading the way, helping Scottish communities become CPR ready.”

A decision to grant a temporary derogation to allow some pigs, which would have been processed at Brechin, to be processed at a plant south of the border and remain eligible for the Specially Selected Pork brand, has been announced by Quality Meat Scotland (QMS).

QMS has been working closely with representatives of Quality Pork Limited (QPL), Tulip Ltd, Scottish Pig Producers (SSP) and Scotlean to support the pork industry to minimise the disruption caused by the on-going shortage of carbon dioxide (CO2).

The Brechin abattoir run by QPL – a collaboration involving SPP, Scotlean and Tulip (its customer) – is currently unable to operate as a result of the acute shortage of CO2, which is needed for processing pigs.

Speaking about the CO2 shortage, chief executive of QMS Alan Clarke said: “QPL made us aware of the challenges they anticipated at an early stage and have kept us updated daily on the position at the Brechin plant.

“While every effort has been made by QPL to secure supplies of CO2, the plant ran out and processing has had to stop.”

“The processing capacity at Brechin accounts for around two-thirds of the pigs slaughtered in Scotland and QMS is keen to support the Scottish pig and pork industry to limit the impact of the temporary closure of this abattoir, including any animal welfare implications.”

“It is particularly unfortunate that the Brechin plant has faced this challenge so soon after the re-opening of the site which had to be closed as a result of a fire last year.”

Following consultation with the companies involved, the Scottish SPCA and wider industry representatives including full exploration of alternatives, QMS has decided to grant a temporary derogation.

This will allow pigs eligible for the Specially Selected Pork brand, which would have been slaughtered at Brechin, to be slaughtered in an abattoir run by Tulip at Ashton.

The derogation is subject to stringent conditions and will be reviewed weekly. As well as sending some pigs south of the border for slaughter, QPL has also introduced other contingency measures. These include working in collaboration with other pork production companies in Scotland which are now taking some of the pigs previously destined for Brechin.

Alan added: “QMS has very carefully considered the wider implications of this decision and also sought advice relating to animal welfare from the Scottish SPCA.

“The shortage of CO2 affecting the Brechin premises – which is responsible for over 60% of the Scottish pig slaughter capacity - has created an exceptional set of circumstances.

“Our decision to grant a temporary derogation reflects that exceptional situation and has been taken in the best interests of the Scottish pig industry and the Specially Selected Pork brand.”