Red Sky Foundation is looking ahead to 2021

to help save lives in local communities thanks to a new partnership with the North East Ambulance Service charitable Trust Fund.

People from North East communities, schools, work places and city centres will start to see more public access defibrillators popping up across the region thanks to a newly formed partnership between leading North East charity Red Sky Foundation and the North East Ambulance Service’s own charitable Trust Fund. 

With heart disease now causing more fatalities than many other illnesses there is a growing concern over the lack defibrillators readily available in certain areas of the region. So after arranging some spectacular fundraising efforts and collaborating with commercial partners, Red Sky Foundation has raised money to help purchase these, to help improve the survival rates of people who may suffer a cardiac arrest.

They have chosen to work with the North East Ambulance Service and its charitable Trust Fund, which has identified areas across the region that would benefit most from having a defibrillator and are also providing funds to help make the defibrillators available to all members of the public.   The North East Ambulance Service will be offering familiarisation sessions to communities installing public access defibrillators to ensure that people know what to do in an emergency.

Sergio Petrucci, founder of Red Sky Foundation, said:

“Making the region a safer place to live has never been more important and that’s why we aim to install the units and educate people from the communities they’ll be fixed in - so that everyone can feel reassured our machines could actually save a life. We’re thrilled to announce our partnership with the North East Ambulance Service and their charitable Trust Fund, working together on making a safer place.”

Alex Mason, Community Resuscitation Officer for the North East Ambulance Service said:

“We’re looking forward to working with another North East charity with the aim to improve rates of survival from cardiac arrest.   Our charity helps fund public access defibrillators in areas we have identified as being in most need as well as supporting our team to deliver familiarisation sessions to the communities, showing people how to deliver CPR and use a defibrillator, reducing peoples’ fears and anxiety about around cardiac arrest.   Defibrillators and CPR are an essential part of the survival process to treat someone suffering a cardiac arrest so it’s great that we have a common goal to ensure the North East is as safe as we can make it.” 

For every minute that passes without CPR and defibrillation the chance a patient will survive drops by 7 - 10 per cent - so having an understanding of CPR is vital as it buys time keeping the brain supplied with oxygen but having a defibrillator on hand could be the difference between life and death. 

Sergio added: “We are always actively looking to grow our supporters, commercial sponsors, community groups and volunteer networks to widen our reach across all parts of the North East. Our partners are essential to helping us continue deliver our cardiac care projects especially in these uncertain times.