After an in-house emergency at the hotel on Christmas Eve, the hotel’s owners, Matthew and Iselin Jones, concluded the hard way that there wasn’t enough lifesaving equipment publicly available in the area. In response they set up a Just Giving Page recounting the story of Christmas Eve and asking islanders to contribute to improving the public emergency response in the area. They kickstarted the fundraising effort with a £500 donation of their own.
Within an hour and a half, the target of £2250 was reached, but the community kept on giving! The fundraiser eventually closed having raised £4015. This enabled the purchase of not one but two defibrillators. One was installed earlier this year in the underpass of the hotel and is publicly accessible 24 hours a day.
The second was donated to Jersey Heritage to be installed at Gorey Castle. They already had one at base level, by the ticket office, but not at the top, where wedding ceremonies and events take place- 200 steps up.
Iselin Jones said: “We were blown away by the generosity of our local community in the New Year and really wanted to do their generosity justice. We were determined to keep the money in Gorey, as 90% of the funds were raised by people in the area and our regular customers. Having put one defibrillator on the Pier we thought where better to place the other one- than right above us! In our underpass, which is accessible 24 hours a day, and at the castle this life saving device will be available to locals as well as visitors to the island when they need it most.”
The defibrillator donated to Jersey Heritage was installed earlier this month.
Ian Daly, Head of Facilities & Security at Jersey Heritage said: “On behalf of Jersey Heritage, I would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to The Moorings Hotel and the residents of Gorey and beyond for their generous donation of a second defibrillator at Mont Orgueil Castle. Their kindness and community spirit have helped us enhance the safety of the thousands of locals, visitors, staff and volunteers who enjoy the castle each year. We hope it is never needed but knowing that this potentially life-saving equipment is available at the top of the castle provides real reassurance.”
The defibrillators were sourced through the Jersey Heart Support Group, who make no profit on the devices. They also delivered free training on how to use them to all Moorings staff.
Mark Harris, Operations Manager of JHSG, said: “The Jersey Heart Support Group is delighted to have been able to support this fantastic community fundraising initiative which has now placed two lifesaving pieces of equipment in Gorey, accessible to the public in the event of an emergency. Time is critical when someone has a cardiac arrest and early intervention with an AED (defibrillator) is crucial to a successful outcome. The initiative set up by The Moorings is a great example of how the community can make a difference, and we hope this will be followed by other communities in Jersey.”
The remaining funds raised will be donated to the Jersey Heart Support Group and ring fenced to the maintenance and upkeep of these and other Gorey defibrillators.