Hartlepool residents donate £1,550 to defibrillator charity as Christmas fair returns

Burn Valley North Residents’ Association raised the sum for DS43 Community Defibrillators – the charity founded in memory of Hartlepool man Danny Shurmer who sadly passed away in June of this year following a cardiac arrest.

Danny’s parents, Pam and Bill Shurmer, received the cheque at the association’s annual Christmas fair at St Matthew’s community centre.

The event, which had to be cancelled last year because of Covid restrictions at the time, was also attended by the town’s MP Jill Mortimer.

Dawn Robinson, treasurer of the Burn Valley North Residents’ Association, has said that the fundraising had been going since October 15.

Donations came in from the Saturday Club, the Mommies and Toddlers group as well as individual members of the association, local residents and ward councillors Gerrard Hall and Jonathan Brash.

Dawn, 54, said: “There’s a lot of good people out there. Within days, that £1,550 just came together really, really quickly.”

A defibrillator was installed at St Matthew’s Community centre on Friday, November 19, just a day before the fair.

Dawn, who lost her husband 10 years ago, has said that both the successful fundraising and the fitting of the defibrillator mean a lot to her.

She said: “Ten years ago I lost my husband. I only live off the road from the community centre. If we had a defib then, he might still be here.”

The foster carer added: "From a personal point of view it really means a lot, but from Burn Valley North Residents’ Association and from St Matthew’s Community Centre, we are really grateful and thank everyone for the donations, the time, the effort.”

A raffle raised a further £242.

Pam said: “It’s really great that everybody is coming together. They are not only securing something for their own area but it’s contributing to the whole town.

Pam, who also had a chance to discuss the work of DS43 with Jill Mortimer during the event, added: “She was very positive about what we are doing.

“She’s interested and asked us to go and see her and have a longer chat with her, which we will do.”

Further details about the DS43 appeal are available online at https://www.justgiving.com/crowdfunding/sarah-shurmer

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