This week the Rotary Club donated a defibrillator valued at $3,000. In the coming weeks it will be available on the wall outside the camp kitchen in the event of an emergency.

Sean Proudman, Rotary Club of Crookwell services director, said the idea for the donation came from hearing a radio interview about how a defibrillator had been used to save a person’s life at a caravan park in the Riverina.

“The majority of people travelling through Crookwell and using the caravan park are of an age where they could suffer from cardiac arrest,” Mr Proudman said.

“I put the idea of purchasing a defibrillator to the Club and they were more than happy to support it.”

Upper Lachlan Shire Council Mayor Brian McCormack said the lifesaving equipment could mean the difference between life and death for a person suffering from cardiac arrest.

“Statistics have shown that defibrillation within the first few minutes of having a sudden cardiac arrest increases the chance of survival to over 70%, and for every minute that passes the chance of survival reduces by 10p.c,” Cr McCormack said.

The Rotary Club of Crookwell has contributed over $12,000 to the local community in the past 12 months.

This includes donations to the Crookwell Hospital, Crookwell High School and smaller local schools, the Upper Lachlan Foundation, the Crookwell Potato Festival and the Crookwell Memorial Oval community sports centre project.

The Rotary Club also plans to be involved in the upgrade of barbecue facilities at Kiamma Creek (Pat Cullen Reserve).