CRITICAL Charity Launches 41-Day Fitness Challenge to Expand Lifesaving Services Across Ireland

• Ireland's leading emergency medical charity CRITICAL is calling on Cork workplaces, community groups and individuals to join their 'Ready, Set, Respond' challenge, a unique 41-day fitness initiative aimed at expanding vital emergency medical services to new locations across the country.

The challenge begins on Saturday, 6 September, coinciding with National Services Day, and runs until Thursday, 16 October, which marks Restart a Heart Day. Teams are tasked with collectively covering 1,308 kilometres through running, walking, cycling or swimming; a distance that symbolically represents the total number of emergency calls CRITICAL volunteers responded to throughout 2024.

CRITICAL's impressive network comprises more than 300 volunteer responders operating across 21 counties, including Emergency Doctors based here in Cork, as well as in Kerry, Waterford, Donegal, Dublin and Wicklow. The charity also supports Community First Responder Groups and works with off-duty paramedics, EMTs and Advanced Paramedics.

Since the beginning of this year alone, these dedicated volunteers have responded to almost 1,000 medical and trauma incidents, including 187 cardiac arrests, demonstrating the critical importance of their rapid response capabilities in saving lives across Ireland.

The funds raised through this challenge will directly support the expansion of services to new locations. Setting up these lifesaving services requires significant investment: a fully-stocked Critical Care response vehicle costs an average of €150,000 to put on the road, whilst establishing a new Community First Responder group requires up to €15,000. Individual life support bags, containing essential equipment including a defibrillator, resuscitation kit and medical diagnostic kit, cost €1,500 each.

David Tighe, CEO of CRITICAL:

"We know that every second counts in an emergency situation which is why we're committed to expanding our network of volunteer responders to even more locations across the country. We have seen a massive increase in call-outs this year and it is fitting that this challenge starts on National Services Day, a day when we celebrate frontline workers and the emergency services. Our volunteers are often first on the scene, providing vital care when it's needed most. We have an amazing mix of healthcare professionals and local heroes from unrelated fields who completed specialised training. We now have 9 Community First Responder Groups and two new groups that are about to go live. They have responded to hundreds of cardiac arrests in recent years which is why we've chosen Restart A Heart Day as the final day of the challenge."

Jeppe Rasmussen, Head of Fundraising with CRITICAL:

"We hope workplaces, communities, clubs and our Community First Responder groups will take part in this unique challenge. The goal is to reach 1,308km in whatever way participants want. This number represents the hundreds of people who received help from CRITICAL volunteers when they needed it most. Our volunteers are responding to more calls than ever and it is all thanks to public donations and community fundraisers. Every contribution helps us to continue this vital lifesaving work."

Cork residents and organisations interested in participating can sign up or make a donation by visiting www.criticalcharity.ie.