Carbon Monoxide Detectors Donated

Hundreds of people living in rural Draperstown will be safer in their homes thanks to an initiative supported by one of Northern Ireland's leading social enterprises, The Workspace Group.

The organisation, which uses profits generated from its business to partly or wholly fund activities aimed at benefiting the whole community, is donating 200 carbon monoxide detectors to representatives from St Vincent de Paul, the Church of Ireland and the Presbyterian Church, who will distribute the devices to older people living in the local area.

Carbon monoxide detectors are used to detect the presence of colourless, odourless carbon monoxide gas in order to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning.

Georgina Grieve, from Workspace, said: "The benefits of a carbon monoxide detector should not be under-estimated.

"This poisonous gas is virtually undetectable without using detection technology so these alarms should provide a vital early warning should any gas escape.

"By working in partnership with organisations such as the Church of Ireland, the Presbyterian Church and St Vincent de Paul, we hope our donation will help to make at least 200 homes a much safer place to be," she said.

Originally set up to stimulate social and economic regeneration in the Magherafelt area but now with three offices in mid-Ulster as well as Donegal and Wales, The Workspace Group provides a wide range of commercial business activities, including home insulation, energy efficient lighting, employability programmes, business start-up, business units and a recruitment agency.

All profits generated by Workspace are used to partly or wholly-fund non commercial social activities such as childcare projects and the Workspace Community Fund, which in 2009/10 awarded grants to almost 30 groups.

(GK/BMcC)