DECADES of campaigning to save lives across Dumbarton, the Vale, Helensburgh and Lomond and beyond have led to a Balloch charity campaigner receiving a top national award.

Sheenah Nelson received a ‘Champions of Change’ award from Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland on Wednesday.

Sheenah, a retired teacher, has campaigned for years to make the public aware of the need to take action and improve survival rates following heart attacks and cardiac arrests.

She is the Heartstart volunteer co-ordinator with Helensburgh Garelochside Rotary, and regularly visits community groups across the area to train members of the public in vital cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) techniques.

Sheenah taught at Hartfield Primary, Braehead Primary and Cardross Primary before retiring from teaching in 2008.

She has also been the driving force behind the fund-raising efforts for, and the installation of, 200 community defibrillators across West Dunbartonshire, Helensburgh and Lomond – and in training the public in how to use the equipment to help someone who has suffered a cardiac arrest.

The award was actually announced in March 2020, but the news came just days before the entire country was locked down as the scale of the Covid-19 crisis became clear, forcing the organisers to put their plans on hold.

With typical modesty Sheenah insisted that the presentation of her award was not about her, but about spreading the word of the importance of knowing how to save a life – and of getting access to the equipment people can use to help them do it.

“I am delighted to have been recognised in this way and given such a prestigious award,” she said.

“This helps highlight the role that Hearstart Helensburgh Garelochside Rotary plays by engaging with the community and the importance of providing training and access to a defibrillator in order to save lives in our community.

Sheenah pointed to the recent incident at the Euro 2020 football championships, when Danish player Christian Eriksen collapsed during his country’s opening match of the tournament against Finland, as evidence that even young, fit and healthy people can suffer a cardiac arrest.

“The important message of dialling 999, starting CPR and getting a defibrillator to the casualty can save a life,” she said.

“His life was saved by the prompt action of a team member doing just that. The power to save a life is in your hands – use it!”

It’s estimated that 27 lives across Dumbarton, the Vale of Leven, Helensburgh and Lomond have been saved as a result of the training given by Sheenah and other members of the Heartstart team over recent years.

Sheenah was one of 12 ‘Champions of Change’ 2020 winners who received their awards at Wednesday’s virtual ceremony – drawn from more than 1,700 Rotary clubs across the UK and Ireland.

Tom Griffin, president of Rotary International in Great Britain and Ireland, said: “Naturally, we were saddened that Sheenah wasn’t able to receive her award last year but we are delighted to invite her to join the 2021 winners so she can receive the recognition she deserves.

“Sheenah’s work is invaluable in educating the community about responding to heart attacks and cardiac arrests.

“She is a very worthy recipient of one of this year’s awards.”