Member Article

£40,000 fundraising partnership sees 20 Defibrillators installed across the North East

A fundraising partnership between Charity Escapes and cardiac care charity Red Sky Foundation has raised nearly £40,000 to pay for the installation of 20 defibrillators across the North East of England. Red Sky Foundation has been working with the not-for-profit organisation to boost its fundraising efforts since it was founded in 2020, with the money primarily going towards cardiac life-preserving equipment, including the installation of life-saving defibrillators for local schools, hospitals and other public spaces. Charity Escapes has assisted Red Sky Foundation by providing the North East-based charity with prizes for raffles, auctions and other fundraising initiatives. Charity Escapes sources the prizes from its hospitality clients, which use its services to make charitable giving easier and more effective. It manages charity requests, assigning agreed prizes to charities and reporting back about the money raised and publicity generated from the donation. Red Sky Foundation was initially set up by Sergio and Emma Petrucci to raise money for the Children’s Heart Unit at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital to thank them for saving their little girl, Luna – then aged 2. It has grown to do much more, and supports the provision of vital equipment into cardiac units cross the region, and defibrillators into public places, as well as training and education, including potentially life-saving CPR. Sergio Petrucci, founder of Red Sky Foundation, said: “The support Red Sky has received from Charity Escapes has been invaluable. When organising a fundraising event that requires a prize, like an auction at a dinner or raffle competition, it can be very difficult and time-consuming sourcing good quality prizes - but Charity Escapes can take care of all of that.” Charity Escapes’ Jordan Proctor said: “The best part of being involved with charities is seeing how the money is spent and the way it can make a difference to peoples’ lives. “I think most of us know someone who has had a heart issue. In fact, more than 300,000 people suffer from cardiac arrest each year, with one-in-three of them passing away. That’s why it’s so important that we have increased public access to defibrillators and greater knowledge around how to use them. “I am very proud that Charity Escapes has been able to help Red Sky Foundation to make a serious impact in the North East and I know that our many donation partners are too. Every time I spot a public defibrillator, it puts a smile on my face thinking that it may very well be there, and save someone’s life, because of the work Charity Escapes does with Red Sky.”

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