COMMUNITY DEFIB PLAN FOR GRANGE RATH ESTATE

WORK is continuing to raise enough funds to install a defibrillator in the Grange Rath estate.

The East Meath First Responder Unit (EMFRU) carried out a door to door collection recently in the estate recently and were hoping this would raise enough to cover the cost of the defibrillator and installation.

However, the collection didn’t go as well as the organisation hoped with only one in four houses answering the door and not everyone wanting to donate.

The group collected approximately €750 from the estate, however it will cost nearly double that for the defibrillator.

Jim Shields who runs the Wast Meath group has been in talks with the Pastor of the Presbyterian church and they have kindly donated €300 towards the defibrillator.

Plans are now in the offing to secure a permit to do a collection outside Dunnes Stores in Southgate so the group can raise the rest of the funds needed and finally get the defibrillator up and runnin.

A credit Union account has been set up for donations so if anyone missed the door to door collection and would like to donate directly to the account they can do so in the East Meath Credit Union to the account number 10082.

‘Hopefully we can raise the rest of the funds soon because this is such an important piece of life saving equipment and it would be fantastic to have it for our estate,’ said a spokesperson on the Grange Rath Unite Facebook page.

The post said that since the unit was set up members have attended close to 40 calls in Grange Rath alone.

‘You never know when you or a family member might need it!’

Volunteers are urgently required to cover shifts and back up the local ambulance crews on a 24 hour a day seven days a week basis. Full training and a uniform will be provided.

‘We get on really well with all the ambulance crews and receive great support and advice on all calls we attend,’ said the spokesperson.

If anyone in the community would like to organise a fundraiser or any business or families that wants to make a donation towards the training facility then please contact Jim on 086-1962636 or Kevin on 087-2624538.

The responder unit are working towards the Code of Governance and all funds received will go towards the running costs of the unit.

The group will issue a receipt for all donations received.

The next opening night for new responders will take place on Thursday, August 10th from 8pm until 10pm in the Old Redbrick School at Donacarney.