They had exciting raffles for customers and door collections to raise money to get an Automated External Defibrillator installed outside the store, which will be available for the community 24/7, 365 days of the year.

The store raised an incredible £1,500 and are currently awaiting installation of the lifesaving equipment. There are around 1,400 cardiac arrests outside of hospitals in Northern Ireland every year and having a defibrillator outside the store can save lives with 24/7 access to these devices.

The Henderson Group, owners of the EUROSPAR franchise in Northern Ireland, have installed 254 defibrillators outside SPAR, EUROSPAR and ViVO branded stores across the country, with each device registered with the NI Ambulance Service and The Circuit. This is the largest network of public access external devices in Northern Ireland and has saved 15 lives to date.

Lisa McKee, EUROSPAR Newcastle Store Manager said: “It will be amazing to have the defibrillator onsite at our store, all thanks to our great team and generous customers for fundraising for this lifesaving equipment.”

Caption: Lisa McKee, Store Manager and Colette Valentine, Community Rep.

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A well-known businessman who owned the Spar store in the village of Benburb, Mr McAnallen passed away peacefully at his home in The Brantry, Eglish, Co Tyrone on Thursday morning, August 4, following an illness.

Tyrone GAA captain Cormac McAnallen played on the All-Ireland winning Tyrone team of 2003, but died in his sleep on 2 March 2004 at the age of 24 due to a previously undetected heart condition.

Following the sudden passing of his son, the McAnallen family led by Brendan campaigned tirelessly for awareness around SADs (sudden arrhythmic death syndrome), establishing The Cormac Trust in his memory. It worked to encourage the use of health screening and provide defibrillators for sports clubs across Ireland.

Brendan McAnallen branched into retail with ‘Benburb Village Stores’ on Main Street in 1999. In May 2019, he unveiled a purpose-built 3,500sq-ft modern SPAR store, spacious car park and forecourt facilities at the Derryfubble Road on the 20th anniversary of the launch of the original shop. The store reached the finals of the Neighbourhood Retailer Awards in 2019.

Paying tribute to Mr McAnallen, Community First Responders in Armagh and Tyrone said: “It is with great sadness that we learn of the death of Mr Brendan McAnallen, Tullygiven, Brantry.

“Brendan was a major driving force in the concept and formulation of Community first responders Armagh and Tyrone. The McAnallen family had suffered the loss of their beloved son Cormac owing to SADS or “Sudden arrhythmic death syndrome” It was thought at the time that if a trained person with a defibrillator had have been on hand then the outcome for Cormac may have been better.

“Brendan worked tirelessly to improve access to heart condition diagnostic tests and formed The Cormac trust which raised huge amounts of money to supply sporting clubs and venues with defibrillators, all of which has saved many lives throughout the Island of Ireland .

“We at CFRA&T will always remember Brendan as a kind, generous and compassionate gentleman. May he rest in peace.”

A family notice said Mr McAnallen had been a loving husband to Bridget, brother, devoted father and an adored grandfather. A requiem mass will take place at St Patrick’s Church, Eglish, this Sunday at 11am with interment afterwards in the adjoining cemetery.

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Leanne Stewart Murray, wife of Paul Murray and founder of Paul’s Legacy, joined forces with Wilkinson’s SPAR Mountsandel in Coleraine and Route Service Station in Ballymoney to install the lifesaving devices outside the stores, available to the local community 24/7.

Paul’s Legacy aims to help prevent further loss of life from cardiomyopathy in the North Coast area after Mr Murray died suddenly in February 2021, aged just 50 years old.

Leanne commented; “Paul was so full of life, a force of nature who was all about making lives better, both in his work as a Nurse Practitioner and with all of those friends and family he loved so dearly. Sudden deaths like Paul’s don’t need to happen but early intervention is key should someone suffer a cardiac arrest, so we were delighted to help towards funding for two new defibrillators for the local communities around Coleraine and Ballymoney.”

Wesley Wilkinson who operates Wilkinson’s SPAR Mountsandel added; “Having an essential piece of kit at our shop lets the whole community know it is there for them should the unthinkable happen. Together with our shoppers, we raised £800 towards the defibrillator and it gives us all a sense of pride and ownership, while remembering Paul and helping reduce the number of local lives lost to cardiac arrest.”

Michelle Hunter, Assistant Manager at Route Service Station added; “We’re just delighted to have been able to work with Leanne and Paul’s Legacy to get the defibrillator installed. We have a close knit community in Ballymoney and our surrounding areas, right up to Wesley’s store on the outskirts of Coleraine, and joining together for this initiative benefits us all.”

The defibrillators are installed outside of each store, available 365 days a year, 24/7 should they ever be needed. The stores fundraised as part of SPAR’s Heart of the Community campaign which was launched to get defibrillators installed outside every store in Northern Ireland.

So far, fundraising has taken place to install 253 devices and to date, 15 lives have been saved thanks to the defibrillators being readily accessible.

Bronagh Luke, Head of Corporate Marketing at Henderson Group which owns SPAR in Northern Ireland and who launched the campaign added; “There are now 26 Automated External Defibrillators installed at our stores across the Causeway Coast and Glens area, including six in Coleraine and three in Ballymoney, thanks to the two latest installations at SPAR Mountsandal and Route Service Station.

“Working with Paul’s Legacy brings even more meaning to having these devices for the local community as the stores’ shoppers, friends and family all came together to fundraise in his memory and to try and help reduce the number of deaths by cardiac arrest.

“We are delighted to see even more communities benefit from the campaign, well done to all involved.”

Caption: Leanne Stewart Murray and her son Elliott, left, with some of the team from SPAR Mounstandel and the newly installed defibrillator in Paul Murray’s memory.

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