Aycliffe Business Make Your Mark Awards
MAKE YOUR MARK AWARDS RAISES CASH AND MUCH-NEEDED PUBLICITY FOR LOCAL CHARITY
A local charity which is on a mission to install defibrillators in Newton Aycliffe and now the whole of the UK has benefited from much-needed funds and publicity from the Aycliffe Business Make Your Mark Awards .
Pictured : Aycliffe Business Park chair Kerina Clark with Mark Preston from Missed A Beat , his partner Kendra and Martin Walker from Make Your Mark organisers Resolution Media and Publishing .
Aycliffe Business Park Community decided to raise money on the night – held at Hardwick Hall on May 9 – for Missed A Beat , a local organisation run by Mark Preston .
Mark has been raising money and awareness after the tragic loss of his friend , Darren Scott , who was just 40 in February 2022 when he suffered a fatal cardiac arrest while playing football for his Newton Aycliffe team , Cobblers Hall over 40s .
In honour of his friend , Mark launched Missed a Beat to provide defibrillators and training to communities to help people in cardiac arrest .
Mark ’ s foundation has funded or partfunded more than 20 community 24 / 7 defibrillators around Newton Aycliffe and the surrounding area – and more than 30 portable defibrillators .
Locations on the business park include Crafter ’ s Companion , Ramseys Garage , Cross-Fit All Out , Siesta , The Fish Tank , Ruff and Tumble , Glow , 3M , Gifts International , Gestamp and Forrest Park School , as well as a number of venues in the local community .
After generous local firms donated two top prizes at the Make Your Mark Awards night – with Husqvarna donating a robotic lawnmower and Ebac offering up a brand new washing machine – generous guests donated a total of £ 1,905 .
Mark said : “ What a great night to be invited along and be part of such an amazing event .
“ I had the opportunity to speak to several business who said they would like to support the charity and fill in the missing pieces of the jigsaw on the business park .
“ The money raised will help Missed A Beat continue its campaign of creating more defibrillators in the area and raising awareness of why they ’ re so important .
“ Make Your Mark also helped us raise the profile and awareness around the need for portable and fixed defibrillators , and also the need for everyone to have the skills to perform CPR when or if needed .
“ Aycliffe Business Park is a special place and the support from everyone on the park so far has been fantastic .”
ABPC chair Kerina Clark – pictured with Mark and Martin Walker from Make Your Mark organisers Resolution Media and Publishing – said : “ We ’ re absolutely delighted that the awards night – which was a fantastic celebration of our business park – could also do some good for the local community .
“ The money raised on the night is brilliant – but , more importantly , the awareness raised for Missed A Beat and the fantastic work Mark is doing is arguably worth a whole lot more .
“ Hopefully , more organisations on Aycliffe Business Park will engage with Missed A Beat and consider installing public defibrillators at their premises which , ultimately , could help to save lives in the future .”
Find out more about Missed A Beat at missedabeat . co . uk
34 | Aycliffe Business