Causeway Coast Tesco shoppers urged to support Community Rescue Services Collection

The CRS is a charitable search and rescue organisation operated by volunteers from communities across Northern Ireland.

The collection day with be taking place this Saturday (March 25) at Tesco Northern Ireland superstores and select express stores in Coleraine, Limavady, Ballymena, Ballymoney and Portstewart.

The CRS is the only accredited Lowland Rescue search and rescue organisation in Northern Ireland, and it provides all aspects of search and rescue falling under the remit of Lowland Rescue including ground, inland water, bike, boat and more. It also provides a number of additional public services including suicide prevention, public education, crisis intervention and community safety.

Kerry Whitehouse, Leadership Team and Antrim Unit Commander at Community Rescue Service said: “We would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Tesco NI and all its colleagues who have allowed us to raise crucial funds to continue our search and rescue service.

“The service we provide is entirely voluntary and operates on a donation basis so any contributions made on 25 March would be greatly appreciated and will go towards supporting our brave volunteers who risk their lives to save others.

“We are on call 24/7, 365 to assist those in crisis and in the first three months of 2023 the CRS has already been called out 93 times and it is only with the assistance of fabulous partners like Tesco that can we continue to provide these life-saving and life-changing services.”

The CRS has regional rescue units strategically placed across Northern Ireland ready to respond to local, area, regional or national emergencies.

Tony McElroy, Tesco’s Community Manager for Northern Ireland, added: “We are very honoured to open our doors for the CRS and assist them in raising funds to support the vital service they provide to the people of Northern Ireland.

“It’s truly brilliant to see our Tesco colleagues across Northern Ireland helping to raise funds for the CRS and its volunteers and going forward, we will continue to support the CRS whenever we can.”