Donegal volunteers clean up at Irish Red Cross Awards

At the recent Irish Red Cross Volunteer Awards held recently at Croke Park the village of Muff have a right to be proud as its volunteer branch scooped four out of seven awards in Croke Park recently.

The Irish Red Cross branch won Branch of the Year, Red Cross Unit of the year as well has having Instructor and Volunteer of the year in what has been a phenomenally busy year for the organisation nationwide.

Secretary General of the Irish Red Cross Liam O’Dwyer said: “This is an amazing Irish Red Cross branch who do so much amazing and selfless work and are the true epitome of volunteerism who give so much of their time to their community and surrounding community in Donegal.

"Congratulations to all the winners and volunteers in Muff who really deserve these accolades.”

The worthy winners announced were the following:

Branch of the Year Winner
Muff Branch is a busy and active branch, formed first in 1939 to assist casualties of WW2, and subsequently reformed in 1972 and approaching its 50th anniversary. The branch operates activities and services within the three Irish Red Cross strands – Youth, Unit and Community Support.  They have a strong and vibrant Youth Section, completing all IRCY programmes and ensuring the young people are engaged and supported. This has paid off with a large number of youth members continuing on to become adult members of the branch. The unit strand of the branch is active providing first aid cover locally and in the Donegal Area. They assisted the National Ambulance Service during Covid-19 and also run a Cardiac First Responder group within the community. The Community Support activities of the branch include therapeutic hand care and organising Christmas cards to be sent to those in nursing homes. During the Covid-19 crisis, volunteers were at hand to assist with delivery of medicines and food deliveries in conjunction with a local food bank. In addition to this the branch have also provided first aid training and have, in return, been strongly supported by the local community.

Unit of the Year Winner
Kate Hegarty has given more than just her time to the Red Cross and to the Muff Branch. Kate volunteers every single week, covering event duties as an EFR, sometime multiple duties per week, covering short notice duties without complaining. She treats patients at a high standard, maintaining the ambulances, ensuring they are clean and ready for duty, guiding younger members and leading by example. Kate continues her own self-development, attending CPC training, putting herself forward for training and encouraging and helping others. She works full time, raises a family and donates her spare time to the Red Cross. Kate is an exceptional volunteer who truly deserves the recognition for all her hard work.

Instructor of the Year Winner
Martin McKinney is an integral part of Muff Branch and Donegal Area, delivering courses to both members of the branch and members of the community. Martin has been a qualified First Aid Instructor for over 25 years, delivering the majority of first aid courses for the area. Without his dedication and commitment we would be unable to deliver the range and quantity of courses which we do. Martin is very passionate about the courses he delivers, as evidenced by the feedback received, with participants commenting on his knowledge, ability to ease concerns and his approachability. Martin keeps his qualifications up to date and also ensures all Unit members training is up to date as he is also Area Director of Units for Donegal Area. Martin’s motto is ‘I am never too busy to provide lifesaving skills’. Numerous lives have been saved in the local community and throughout the Donegal Area through the high level of first aid training delivered by Martin over the years.

Volunteer of the Year Winner
Bernie Rutherford has been an active member of Muff branch, in all three strands for over 35 years. She was instrumental in establishing a strong Youth membership In the branch and has ensured this continues today. She works closely with Unit officers and Community Support to ensure that youth are also trained in first aid and community activities. During Covid-19, Bernie implemented virtual meetings over zoom, encouraging active participation on IRCY online activities and when safe to do so returning to face to face meetings. She is an active member of the unit structure volunteering to provide first aid cover as an EMT. Bernie is also an instructor delivering courses to the public and other volunteers. She helps to organise hand care to local groups, attend community events to showcase Red Cross activities and is involved in Positive Mental Health Awareness days. During Covid-19 Bernie assisted with a local food bank and pharmacy collections. She is Branch Representative to the Donegal Area Committee and is Vice Chair of Donegal Area Committee. Bernie is a valued member of Muff Branch and Donegal Area and continues to be a loyal and dedicated volunteer.