Fens Primary School Pupils Raise £1.5K During Cycling Proficiency to Fund Life-Saving Defibrillator at Middlesbrough Velodrome

Pupils at Fens Primary School have raised an incredible £1,551 while taking part in their cycling proficiency training, helping to fund a lifesaving, publicly accessible defibrillator for Middlesbrough Velodrome.

The fundraising effort was carried out in support of Red Sky Foundation, a North East charity dedicated to supporting babies, children and adults living with complex heart conditions along with their families, and providing publicly accessible defibrillators within local communities.

Children took part in the cycling event, gathering sponsorship and getting actively involved, supported by staff, families and NE Cycling, with whom the school has worked closely for several years.

Mr Keen from Fens Primary School said: “We’ve worked with North East Cycling for a number of years now and regularly hold cycling events with our children at Fens Primary. Children from Reception right through to Year 6 get involved, gain sponsorship and all take part in events. The children absolutely love getting out on their bikes. We’ve also been working with Red Sky Foundation for couple of years now and come into school every year to educate and teach our pupils CPR, which is a vital skill to have.”

Dr Sergio Petrucci MBE, Founder of Red Sky Foundation, said:
“We are incredibly proud of the pupils, staff and families at Fens Primary School for their dedication and hard work. Fundraising like this does not just raise vital funds, it raises awareness and helps put lifesaving equipment where it is needed most. A defibrillator can mean the difference between life and death, and this installation at Middlesbrough Velodrome is a powerful example of a community coming together to help save lives.”

Thanks to the determination and enthusiasm of the pupils, the defibrillator has now been installed at Middlesbrough Velodrome, providing crucial emergency equipment for cyclists, staff and members of the public using the facility.

The importance of having a defibrillator on site is particularly meaningful to Andrew Clerk, whose life was saved by a defibrillator while he was out cycling last year. Andrew now cycles regularly at the velodrome. He said: “This is really important, as you never know, like in my case, when you might need it. Let’s hope it is never used, but it gives us peace of mind knowing that if we ever do have an incident, there is a defibrillator on site.”