Singer makes surprise visit to school - which has been
tragically affected by young sudden cardiac death - on behalf of leading
charity.
Assemblies will never seem the same again for the pupils of
a local school who today were serenaded
by one of the biggest stars of Britain’s pop scene, singer /songwriter, Pixie Lott!
The “Boys and Girls” star surprised around 600 pupils, aged
11 to 18 from the Ravens Wood School in Bromley - previously home to such prestigious talents as Peter Frampton and David Bowie - as she emerged from the wings
and took to the stage in the main hall. Pixie sang a selection of songs
including her brand new single Nasty, out this week, and some more from her
self- titled new album Pixie Lott, which will be released late Spring before
answering questions from the excited audience.
23 year old Pixie, who has connections with Chislehurst, Petts
Wood and Bickley, became a patron of Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) almost 4
years ago and has been a loyal and proactive supporter of the charity and its
work to reduce the incidence of sudden cardiac death in young people.
Pixie made history when she became the first singer to
perform live inside the House of Commons when she ‘took to the mike’ during the
charity’s annual parliamentary reception in 2010. The following year, she
delivered a mesmerising performance of ‘Silent Night’ at CRY’s Carol Concert.
Pixie said; "I became a patron of CRY as it affects so
many young people and it’s crazy that a seemingly fit and young person can just
drop down dead. I feel it’s so important to raise awareness and will continue
to use my role as Patron to help ‘spread the word’ about the charity’s vital
work."
Ravens Wood School has a very poignant connection to CRY
following the deaths of three young, male pupils in its recent history. They
include Matt Beadle (a former pupil - who also knew Pixie Lott during his time
at the Italia Conti School in Chislehurst) who died suddenly in 2012 aged just
32, and 15 year old Ben Daniels who collapsed without warning whilst playing
football with his Ex Blues FC teammates in March 2011.
Ben’s dad, Paul, from Bickley, has raised over £80,000
through the Ben Daniels Memorial Fund to support CRY’s pioneering screening
programme which now tests around 14,000 young people every year. As a result of
Paul’s efforts, around 1,000 young people have been screened in the local area
over the past 3 years, both at Ravens Wood and the Old Elthamians Sports Club in Chislehurst, in
memory of Ben.
He adds; "It's Pixie’s passion and enthusiasm for CRY that
continues to bring people together in our common cause of saving young people's
lives and remembering those, like Ben, that have died."
As well as being an inspiring ambassador for young people,
Pixie also has a personal connection to the charity and the issue of young
sudden cardiac death. In 2004, Adam Donnelly, who was a friend of Pixie’s older
sister, Charlie, tragically died from a previously undiagnosed condition known
as Brugada syndrome. He was aged just 17.
Since Adam’s death, his parents Jed and Julie, from Sidcup,
have become committed supporters of the charity, working tirelessly to raise
funds and awareness for CRY.
Every week, 12 young (aged 35 and under) people lose their
lives to sudden cardiac death in the UK - a statistic that is believed to be a
conservative estimate. A staggering 80% of these apparently healthy young
people who die from young sudden cardiac death will have shown no previous sign
of heart defects until it is too late.
Chief Executive and Founder of CRY, Alison Cox MBE, says; "Everyone was absolutely delighted that Pixie was able to visit [Ravens Wood
which has] a special link to CRY. She is a wonderful ambassador for our charity
and has an unique way of communicating with this young – seemingly invincible -
age group, who can sometimes be ‘hard to reach’ with messages about health and
the importance of having their hearts checked out."
Mr Rhys Spiers, Vice Principal of Ravens Wood School, says; "Many of Ben’s friends and classmates are still pupils at Ravens Wood and he
continues to be missed by them all. To have lost three pupils over the years
from similar, undiagnosed heart conditions is absolutely tragic and it has left
a real legacy with us as a school. Since Ben’s tragic death we have raised a
significant amount of money and undertaken numerous initiatives in order to
raise awareness. We are committed to screening students for their cardiac
health every year and feel that we are a leading example to other schools.
It was a great honour – and great fun! – to welcome Pixie
to our school and we all feel she does an amazing job in helping raise
awareness about CRY’s work."
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