Ballymore area group seeks to top up defibrillator fund

Seventeen years after they were installed, some of the defibrillators in the Ballymore, Moyvoughley and Boher area need replacing - and there is also a need to provide younger generations with training in their use.

As a result, the Ballymore, Boher and Moyvoughley Defibrillator Group is embarking on a fundraising drive, with the aim of raising €10,000.

"Around €27,000 was raised back in 2008, and that funded eight defibrillators, and it meant we were able to fund the maintenance of the machines ever since: the batteries have to be replaced, and pads," says Declan Rooney from Ballymore.

The investment proved a wise one, as there have been several incidents over the years when the defibrillators have been needed, says Joe Flanagan, adding that they are distributed well, so that every area has easy access to one.

The two were members of the original committee, and were delighted when over 150 people from the area undertook the training back in 2008 to learn how to use the devices.

However, Joe points out, the passage of time means many of those who trained are now considerably older, and there is a huge number of people locally who would have been just children - or not even born - when the original training course was run.

"The training just takes one evening," he says.

Assessment of the defibrillators has shown that three out of the eight really need to be replaced, at an estimated cost of €1,500 apiece, but the group is also hoping that the appeal will help replenish the pot from which maintenance costs are met.