Hospital porters raise staggering €20,000 from Deposit Return Scheme for sick children

In an uplifting story to kick-off 2025, a group of hospital porters from Cork University Hospital have raised almost €20,000 to buy critical medical equipment for seriously ill children by recycling 123,000 plastic bottles and cans. 

The colleagues, all named John, planned to buy a Chinese takeaway after one of their shifts by cashing in the used containers they had collected when they got the idea to instead raise money for the hospital. 

After handing in the proceeds to the hospital's fundraising arm, CUH Charity, the initiative spiralled into an inspiring story of helping sick children through recycling. 

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John Collins and John Keenan are now running the fundraiser which has so far raised almost €20,000.

The pair have spent the last seven months collecting used bottles and cans at the end of each of their shifts and then redeeming them for cash through the Deposit Return Scheme at local shops.

The money has helped the hospital buy a mobile high-flow oxygen therapy (Airvo) unit for babies and children suffering from bronchiolitis, pneumonia and asthma, and is used when the children are transferred to other wards at CUH.

Dr David Mullane, a consultant paediatrician at CUH, said that the new unit will be used to deliver increased and uninterrupted oxygen to children with acute respiratory problems. Many children receiving this care need to be moved between different areas of the hospital, including intensive care.

He said: "To maintain Airvo delivery during transfer in these circumstances, a mobile device with its own external battery or power source is required. This new piece of equipment will provide that and allow seamless transfer while maintaining Airvo delivery."

He added: "This will enable us to deliver the optimum care for patients in respiratory distress. We really appreciate our colleagues agreeing to fund this important equipment through their recycling efforts."

John Collins said that they have been overwhelmed with the amazing support the initiative has received. He said: "We are overwhelmed that it has enabled the hospital to buy this equipment, or that we would even pass the €10,000 mark.

"We are doing it seven months now, we started on May 3 and the first donation to CUH Charity was €220. There is huge support from inside the hospital, we are collecting 12 bags of bottles and cans a day, averaging between 600 and 800 containers.

"And that’s without targeting the entire hospital, we don’t have the manpower to do that, if we did, we’d be up to €30,000."

He concluded: "We’ll continue this for as long as we can – despite not getting the Chinese takeaway!"

CUH Charity Executive Director, Claire Concannon, has thanked the men for their work, saying: "To think that they have continued this incredible effort in their own time and made such a difference to young patients at the hospital, is a wonderful testament to their character, they deserve all the praise they receive."