Sky Betting and Gaming to pledge six-figure sum to Children’s Heart Surgery Fund

Sky Betting & Gaming (SBG) is donating more than £250,000 to fund life-changing support at one of Yorkshire’s leading charities – the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund.

Hundreds of staff and guests gathered at SBG’s Annual Charity Gala in Leeds on Wednesday for a night of fund-raising activity, hosted by ITV Racing’s Oli Bell and Ed Chamberlin.

A silent auction, raffle prizes, sponsorship packages and a Mascot Race helped raise an extraordinary amount on the night.

And SBG’s parent company Flutter UKI rounded off the evening by donating £120,000 towards to help pay for a new, state-of-the-art echo software package at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit.

The software provides highly-detailed analysis of a patient’s heart and can help free up doctor’s and other clinicians to do other crucial duties.

The Children’s Heart Surgery Fund (CHSF) is a not-for-profit organisation that provides lifesaving and life-changing support for children with congenital heart disease across Yorkshire.

More than 17,000 patients a year, of all ages, are supported by the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit and its network of 19 regional clinics – and CHSF is there for them all, every step of the way, providing vital medical equipment, parent accommodation and family support.

Andy McNally, CHSF head of marketing, said: “This life-changing contribution from Sky Betting & Gaming and Flutter UKI will make an incredible difference to local patients with congenital heart disease and their families.

“Donations help give patients and families the best possible experience at the Leeds Congenital Heart Unit and cardiac clinics around our region and we cannot thank the Sky Bet employees and everyone who contributed at the ball enough.”

SBG staff voted to support CHSF at the start of the year and they have been taking part in a number of fund-raising activities and challenges ever since to raise money for the charity – which receives no Government funding.

SBG has been running its charity event for seven years, raising around £800,000 for local and national charities including the Yorkshire Air Ambulance, Macmillan Cancer, Teenage Cancer Trust and, last year, Support Dogs.

Steve Birch, chief commercial officer, Sky Betting & Gaming, said: “The Charity Gala is always on of our proudest moments and none more so this year given the incredible effort by our colleagues in raising money for this exceptional cause.

“On the night, Heidi Watson, CEO of the Children’s Heart Surgery Fund, spoke about how much of a difference a new Echo Software Package would make not only to the doctors but more importantly, the patients, so we were delighted to help.”