Defibrillators installed in Coagh and Drummullan

Defibrillators have been installed to serve the communities of Coagh and Drummullan thanks to the efforts of a local community group and support received from people in the wider area.
Checking out the new defibrillator in Coagh are Les Ross (Tamlaght), Carmel Lyttle (Stewartstown Health Centre) and members of the Curran family.Checking out the new defibrillator in Coagh are Les Ross (Tamlaght), Carmel Lyttle (Stewartstown Health Centre) and members of the Curran family.
Checking out the new defibrillator in Coagh are Les Ross (Tamlaght), Carmel Lyttle (Stewartstown Health Centre) and members of the Curran family.

McGaw’s Garage (Solo) in Hanover Square hosts one of the lifesaving devices, while the other is located at QC Tyres at Littlebridge Filling Station.

The locations were chosen because they are easily accessible to everyone in the local area and there is good surveillance of both sites.

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The defibrillators are enclosed in secure cabinets and the code to open each cabinet is available by calling the emergency 999 service in the normal way.

The Friends of Tamlaght Church Hall community group provided the new defibrillators.

Chairman Les Ross explained how the funds were raised, saying: “The aim of our annual Scrufts dog show in Coagh last September was to raise money for the defibrillators. We also pledged to raise money for the Cancer Fund for Children, and, very importantly, we wanted to have fun event for everyone in the local community to enjoy. The dog show was a relative success, but the dreadful weather last September dampened the turnout and we didn’t raise as much as we hoped on the day. Nevertheless, due to extremely generous donations from several local people after the event we started to get close to our target. Mid Ulster Council also provided generous grant assistance to cover some of the costs of the event. Finally, we were contacted by the Curran family, through Stewartstown Health Centre, who pledged an additional £1,000 which allowed us to do everything we had set out to do. It was a tremendous gesture for which we are extremely grateful.”

Thanks to the work of all the local people who made Scrufts happen, and the generous gifts from the Curran family and others, the community group has not only provided two defibrillators, but also sent £1,000 to the Cancer Fund for Children to assist their vital work in Northern Ireland.

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Sarah Halliday from the group expressed thanks to everyone who helped with Scrufts.

“It’s impossible to thank everyone individually because so many people helped to make Scrufts happen or made contributions to the fund. The defibrillators are for the whole community, and people from all parts of the local community contributed.

“The Cancer Fund for Children does terrific work in Northern Ireland, we are so pleased to be able support this work through the generous donations received. It’s fantastic that local people gave their time and energy to help at Scrufts or to attend the event, despite the weather. On behalf of our committee I wish to pass on sincere thanks to everyone.”

The defibrillators are installed and ready for use if and when needed, thanks to the efforts of the local community.