Tuesday, 11 March 2014

PIXIE LOTT GOES “BACK TO SCHOOL” AS CHARITY AMBASSADOR



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."


No comments:

Post a Comment