The iconic red phone box was once seen as a lifesaving tool before the decline in use caused by mobile phones. However, BT are hoping communities and charities will soon get together to once more bring the box back as a lifesaving device, albeit with a slight twist.
When the phone boxes began to decline in use, BT introduced their Adopt a Kiosk scheme where local communities could buy the red phone box for £1 and turn it into anything from an information centre to an art gallery.
Around the country however, people have been finding a new use as locations to install defibrillator units, to increase the chances of survival for those suffering a heart attack. In England, there are now 4 such boxes, but the first has just opened in Scotland thanks to a local Girl Guide Heather Munro and the Community Heartbeat Trust who together organised for the village of Glendaruel in Argyll to adopt its own phone box.
It might seem an odd place to put a defibrillator, but the area is popular with walkers and there were several heart attacks last year in the village involving tourists, so having a defibrillator close by might prove the key ingredient.
More related resources:
BT Adopt a Kiosk Scheme
Tourist attractions across the Highlands of Scotland
Scottish Highland hotels
Self-catering accommodation in Highlands of Scotland
