Lasting local impact: volunteers helping communities prepare, respond and connect

As Volunteers’ Week draws to a close, the stories of Clifford Eastmond and Archie Chalmers highlight the breadth of impact one volunteer can have across a community. Their work shows that volunteering can be both practical and far-reaching, helping improve awareness, preparedness and local access to support. 

For around 15 years, Clifford Eastmond has contributed to St John Scotland in a variety of ways, including CPR training, promoting Public Access Defibrillators (PAD), supporting patient transport in Morayshire and representing the organisation at community events. His volunteering has helped strengthen local awareness of lifesaving support while also helping showcase the wider work of St John Scotland, including support connected to the St John Eye Hospital in Jerusalem. 

In Ayrshire and Arran, Archie Chalmers has made a significant contribution as PAD Lead, helping process 101 PAD applications in the past three years. Covering a wide area and supporting local awareness and training sessions, his work has helped communities improve access to equipment and information that can make a critical difference in an emergency. His story is a reminder that steady, practical action can have a meaningful and lasting effect. 

Closing the week with these stories is a fitting reminder that volunteering takes many forms. Whether through awareness, infrastructure, transport or community engagement, volunteers help create stronger, safer and better-connected places for everyone. 

Share these stories, thank a volunteer and find out how your community can support lifesaving awareness and access to defibrillators.