Dacia Duster to save Scots lives 16 | 04 | 2015
SCOTLAND'S MOST AFFORDABLE SUV, the Dacia Duster, is now helping to save lives and deliver first aid cover across the country with one of the Scotland's longest established charities.
St Andrew’s First Aid – which has a team of 2000 highly trained volunteers – has been loaned the top-of-the-range model by Dacia UK to help deliver its critical services.
The rugged four-wheel drive model will help the charity to continue providing First Aid cover at major events which have typically included T in the Park, The Pedal for Scotland Charity Bike Ride, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo and most Scottish Premiership matches.
It has also been equipped with a defibrillator to help the charity’s volunteers save the lives of cardiac arrest victims.
“St Andrew’s First Aid operates throughout Scotland and so has a fairly large patch to cover, sometimes involving challenging terrains," Andrew Heiron, Dacia UK brand manager, said.
“The Dacia, with its high economy diesel engine and all-wheel drive capability, is going to be an invaluable asset to the whole team as it travels the length and breadth of the country covering events, training and other official business.
“We’re glad we can lend them the Dacia Duster to help with their potentially life-saving work.”
According to St Andrew’s First Aid, the average wait time for an ambulance in Scotland is about eight minutes. The first three minutes following cardiac arrest are critical and for each minute that passes, the chances of survival reduce by a further 10%.
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That's why, through its network of volunteers, the charity is striking up partnerships with local communities and education authorities to spread the First Aid message, particularly to young people. Its ambition is that one day, every child leaving school will do so with at least a basic knowledge of emergency first aid.
Ray Diggins, Head of Marketing and Fundraising at St Andrew’s First Aid, said as well as taking it to public events, the charity would be using the Dacia Duster to help deliver more first aid training across the country.
“There are an estimated 12,000 preventable admissions to A&E departments in Scotland every year," Diggins commented. "The more trained volunteers we can get out there and the more people we can reach with our first aid message, the more we can address that and ensure that no-one suffers or dies because they needed first aid and didn’t get it.
“We operate all over the country and occasionally across challenging terrains too, so the Duster is the perfect vehicle for us. Thanks go to Dacia UK for so generously supporting our charity in this way.”
The Duster is the most affordable SUV on the UK market – and has been since it came to the UK in January 2013. The model – which starts from £9,495 – has claimed numerous industry awards and has established an immensely loyal following, not least because of highly competitive pricing and generous specification.
Dacia, part of Renault Group, has experienced an unprecedented period of ahead-of-the-market growth over the last two years.
After record-breaking sales in 2014, the ‘no nonsense’ car brand posted first quarter sales of 7,524 vehicles – up 10.3 per cent on last year and again outpacing the growing car market. As well as the Duster, Dacia’s UK range includes the Logan MCV, Sandero and the Sandero Stepway.
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Jim McGill