Ballymore, Boher and Moyvoughley seeking to replenish defib fund

Ballymore, Boher and Moyvoughley seeking to replenish defib 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 an aim of raising €10,000.

“Around €27,000 was raised in 2008, and that funded eight defibrillators, and the maintenance of the machines since: the batteries have to be replaced, and the pads,” says Declan Rooney from Ballymore.

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

The two were members of the original committee, and more than 150 people from the area undertook the training in 2008 to learn how to use the devices. However, Joe points out, 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 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. An appeal has been launched, which can be found by searching for ‘Ballymore’ on GoFundMe.com.