Member Article

Birthday Ball to celebrate AEDdonate’s tenth anniversary

A lifesaving charity is celebrating its tenth birthday in style – with a glittering fundraising ball which promises to be a night to remember.

Stone-based AEDdonate – which provides vital defibrillators to communities throughout the UK and was awarded the King’s Award for Voluntary Service in November – says the glittering April 6 event will celebrate a decade of the charity and communities saving lives together.

The event, at the Doubletree Hilton in Stoke on Trent, includes a three-course meal, dancing and entertainment and a special auction featuring fabulous prizes including signed Stoke City and Port Vale shirts.

AEDdonate chief executive Jamie Richards said the event was the first ball the charity had organised since the Covid pandemic.

“We thought the opportunity to celebrate our tenth birthday and bring together all the volunteers, friends, communities, and businesses which have supported us over the past decade was just too good an opportunity to miss.

“We have fond memories of the fantastic balls we used to stage before Covid and are really looking forward to a wonderful evening of food, music and fun which will be a real night to remember.

‘It will also be a wonderful opportunity for us to say thank you to everybody who has supported us over the last decade and who has helped make such a difference to so many people’s lives.”

AEDdonate has built a national reputation for its expertise in providing defibrillators to communities throughout the UK, along with supporting the installation, maintenance, and management of the life-saving devices. The charity also provides training sessions to provide confidence and awareness around community defibrillators.

“These defibrillators – and the support we provide to ensure they are maintained and people know how to use them ­– form an essential part of improving survival chances for people who have cardiac arrests away from hospital,” said Jamie. 

“Our main focus at AEDdonate is to support all of our communities, whether that be a small or large village, a large business, a football club or a community centre. It is of paramount importance that absolutely everyone has easy access to a defibrillator without delay.”

Jamie added that sponsorship opportunities for the ball were still available, and the charity would be delighted to hear from any business interested in offering support.

AEDdonate has three charity shops in Stone, Newport, and Market Drayton and has joined forces with the Leek Building Society to fund the installation of 100 life-saving defibrillators in local communities during a four-year partnership.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Melanie Boulter .