Irish Red Cross Clare Branch Update

We are joined now by the Irish Red Cross Clare Honorary Treasure and the Irish Red Cross

National Volunteer of the Year in Times Gumpast, James Lafferty and his colleague Tracey Fitzgerald

who is the area secretary and quiz organizer, folks, a very good morning to you both.

Good morning, Alan. How are you?

I'm very well. James, bring us up to date with how things are going from the Irish Red Cross

Clare branch perspective. Do you want to start with the tour of Clare Fundraiser?

Are you making yourself your way around every new concreting at the Banner County?

This year we have a hundred last year with 174 locations. We have now gone to 177 across

the County of Clare and last year 20% of everything we raise goes to repairs and maintenance.

80% goes to the development of our upstairs in the new building in about four years time.

Okay, brilliant stuff. I know you mentioned it before. You're trying to get a new ambulance

and fundraising at the church gates. How generous are people being here? Are you out of track?

People have been very generous. We have over 10,700 raised over 10 weeks and we hope to pull that

up to 20,000 and that's the target for the church gates by the end of June and after that then we

hope to get a few more out in the national lottery. We need 35,000 and we hope to get Clare

funding through the Irish Red Cross. We know all about that next week. So that will be our new

ambulance in place. Then we have to replace the other three vehicles, which will be the 212,

the 232 and the 162. And the reason you need to replace them and also need

an additional new vehicle is because you have so many appointments to bring people to

where less than a third of the way through or less than a quarter of the way through this year

and how many medical appointments have been completed so far. We have the 160 transports done

as of this weekend, which is unreal. That is four a day. Four a day. Okay, so help out with this new

ambulance if you can. The parachute jump you did it last year, James. It's planned to go ahead

because of course this is weather dependent. It happened last year. Similarly, it had to be

posted on a few times. It was booked for the 30th of August this year. And we have four,

we have six lovely ladies involved this year. They're from all over Clare. We have Geraldine

Bern from Kilke, Jessica, Santos, Derossa and Chloe, Constantine and Stacy, look now. I did

sent you for the Christmas in Carcala. So recruited these three lovely ladies to do the parachute

jump. So one favor for another. And then I have the lovely Joan of Sullivan, who's our new community

officer with myself and she's doing a great job. And you know the one that I had a niggle

today. She couldn't do it last year, but she's off again this year. So hopefully that'll be finished

by the tortu de boggust. And I've booked everything in place and ready to go. Now the table quiz,

we have a table quiz in the low clean. I'm going to hand you over to Tracy because there's

her baby. Yeah. And Tracy, you can fill us in and that that's happening on Friday, the eighth of

May, an eight of obviously support services with the aforementioned medical appointments. What's

going to be happening on the evening? There's a table quiz on in the low clean and drunk

when on Friday, the eight and eight p.m. There's also going to be a raffle on the night.

And all support would be welcome. And I would also like to say while I'm here,

a special thanks to Helen Niggle for doing up the lovely posters. Okay. And anyone that has any

inquiries can contact me on 8 7 0 5 5 9 4 8 2. And I presume it being a quiz night at the

usual raffles. Yes, there is raffle. Yes, there is. Yes. Okay. I'll finish off with two items.

The counter top boxes. We were 185 across county Claire and I need to get people to tap on those

boxes. They're all set to tap because we need to keep the funds going with the price of diesel

my diesel bill last month for the red cross was 2500 is possibly three and a half thousand this year

and it won't be easy to sustain it. So I need people to tap on the boxes and donate,

try donate and keep the show on the road. And one big event the weekend and I would like you

Alan. Maybe you might get the chat to talk to Bertie down the getty down the road.

The address red cross long services award 50 years. Imagine I'll be 103 when I reach 50

years service with the red cross. And the mansion house in Dublin at 12.30 on Sunday on

Saturday the 24th. Guerti is from the East Claire branch and she's a wonderful lady. She was

in the Dublin Red Cross. She's been in the East Claire East Claire Red Cross. And I want

Michael Walsh and myself and the crew gone up to Dublin the weekend. Brilliant. And I won't

risk your hour by asking how far away or close to 103 you are. But you're looking well. You're

looking well. Sixty eight. Sixty eight. Last tourist. Last tourist. Well, belated happy birthday to you.

James, thank you very much to James Laferty and also to you as well. I really appreciate you

being in this morning. James Laferty there with us and also Tracy Fitzgerald the Claire

Irish Red Cross branch area secretary and quiz organizer with us on Wednesday's morning focus.