A Castlebar based defibrillator provision project for for local communities was a runner-up in two categories of a national award scheme earlier this month (December).

The BeeCon Project is a reusable, community –led initiative that assists communities in delivering life saving equipment in their area.

It is a blueprint for communities to source and secure sponsorship from local businesses in order to deliver solar or wind-powered cabinets with defibrillators and all auxiliary assets to any area, with no overhead to the community.

Natasha Beegan Connolly, based in Breaffy, Castlebar is one of the founders of the initiative that was only launched in November of this year.

Research shows that having a defibrillator available within two minutes of anyone suffering a heart attack/failure can result in up to an 80 percent better chance of that person’s survival.

Natasha sourced sponsorship for the solar-powered cabinet and defibrillator from a number of local businesses and it’s now located and accessible on a rural road in Breaffy, 24.7, just off the new N5 into Castlebar.

The BeeCon Project was highly commended , coming in as the runner-up in two catregories of the 2023 Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland National Awards – in the categories – Innovation Award and Community Development Award.

Midwest News Editor Teresa O’Malley congratulated Natasha on the successes and spoke to her about the plans to develop the project nationally…