Galway Advertiser 2006/2006_08_17/GA_1708_E1_029.pdf 

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August 17 2006

www.galwayadvertiser.ie

N E W S 29

Beware those who take charity bags of clothes says O'Flaherty
BY KERNAN ANDREWS Beware when leaving bags of clothes out for charity. There are people pretening to be official collectors who only want to take the clothes for themselves. This is the message from Cllr Terry O'Flaherty who is highlighting what is seen as a continuing problem for charitable organisations in the city. On Saturday morning a member of Cllr O'Flaherty's family left out a bag of clothes in the porch for collection by a reputable charitable organisation. At about 9am she looked out her window and noticed a boy, about eight years of age, standing in the porch. She asked what he was doing. He said he was going to take the bag as his mother has sent him for it. Initially she presumed the boy was helping collect the bags, but went with the child to the waiting car to make enquiries. The response from his mother was that she thought the clothes were left there for anyone to take them. Then the driver then took off at high speed. The car registration number could not be identified. Later on that day an official representative from the charity called to collect the bag and the incident was related to him. He informed her: "This is an ongoing problem. We have to be out very early to get ahead of the would be thieves." Cllr O'Flaherty said she is appalled by this incident and said sending a child to someone's home to take clothes meant for charity was "despicable". She has called on the public to be "vigilant to this disgraceful behaviour". She said: "Genuine charities desperately need the fund raised from the collection of those clothes in order to help the less well off and more vulnerable members of our society."

Callanan stresses importance of targeting older people in fire awareness scheme
BY AOIFE POTTER-COGAN Galway East deputy Joe Callanan has said that older people should be targeted by a new scheme to install smoke alarms in vulnerable homes. The Fianna Fail TD was speaking about a new pilot scheme in Galway which will see smoke alarms installed in more than 250 homes as part of a programme to raise fire awareness. "It is estimated that one in five Irish homes do not have a working smoke alarm, a figure that is far too high," said deputy Callanan. The TD said that older Galway citizens living alone should be a high priority for the scheme to reduce the risk of fire in vulnerable homes. "I will be contacting council management to ensure that the homes of older people are given priority," he stated. The pilot scheme is supported by the Department of the Environment and is currently in progress with selected homes receiving two alarms. "The homes that will avail of the scheme will be selected by the council in consultation with local voluntary groups," explained the TD. Deputy Callanan stressed the urgency in the selection of homes for the fire awareness scheme stating that the alarms should be installed without "unnecessary delay". "If this pilot scheme is a success then it is important that we see it rolled out nationwide. We must ensure that all homes and public buildings offer people proper protection from the dangers of smoke and fire, in particular during the winter months when the risks are increased," concluded deputy Callanan.

Dympna Burke, Turloughmore, David Taaffe, Club Vitae Health and Fitness club, and Carmel Sheridan at the Quality Hotel BBQ for the Club Vitae Health and Leisure Club staff and members who were celebrating raising money for Cancer Care West . Photo: Andrew Downes.