Red Sky Foundation rolled out the red carpet once again to welcome a who's who guest list of VIP's to their flagship event of the year, the Red Sky Ball.
Held at The Beacon of Light in Sunderland, the Red Sky Ball saw over 800 individuals made up of celebrities, community champions, beneficiaries and corporate partners of the award winning Red Sky Foundation from across the UK. Each and everyone of the guests were there to witness and celebrate another record-breaking year of incredible achievements supporting families, communities and hospitals impacted by the life saving North East based registered charity, raising a staggering £180,960.
Billed as “the must go to event” on the North East social calender, the Red Sky Ball was a glittering occasion filled with music, entertainment, and heartfelt recognition for the charity’s life-saving work made extra special with heart-warming stories from cardiologists, Northumbria Police and families living with heart disease.
In a spectacular finale to the celebrate the huge amount raised, musician Chesney Hawkes took to the stage, delivering a show-stopping performance that had the room singing and dancing along to songs from every genre before he belted out “The One and Only” classic raising the roof.
Guests also enjoyed mingling with an array of celebrity faces, including patrons of the Red Sky Foundation Jill Scott MBE and Faye Tozer, who joined the evening to show their support and celebrate the remarkable impact over the past year.
It has been a truly record-breaking year for the charity, which has just celebrated its 6th birthday, achieving significant fundraising growth in many ways, including a record 1,200 runners taking part in the Great North Run weekend, alongside celebrating the achievements of an unforgettable group expedition to Everest Base Camp.
Red Sky Foundation continues to deliver groundbreaking support across the region. In addition to placing over 1,500 public access defibrillators in communities and donating 300 to grassroots sports teams, and in 2025, the organisation formed an incredible partnership with both Northumbria and Durham Police as they became the first police forces in the UK to have access to a defibrillator in every single response vehicle, an initiative made possible by the incredible support of donors and funds raised by the popular charity. Those funds directly contributed to over 300 life-saving defibrillators, which are already helping to save lives every week.
Altogether, these initiatives represent a remarkable investment of over £320,000 in life-saving equipment, ensuring that vital support is never far away in moments of emergency. Red Sky Foundation has continued to make a profound difference at the start of 2026, providing support to families, raising awareness of congenital heart conditions, and keeping communities safe with defibrillators and vital medical programmes. In addition, the charity has funded opportunities for doctors to attend pioneering training in the latest advancements in open heart surgery, as well as investing in vital equipment for the NHS further strengthening the quality of care available to patients. The Red Sky Ball served as both a celebration of these achievements and a powerful reminder of the importance of continued community support.
“We are overjoyed by the incredible turnout and generosity shown at this year’s Red Sky Ball,” said Sergio Petrucci MBE, founder of the Red Sky Foundation. “It’s the highlight of our packed calendar of fundraising events and it’s always wonderful to see our supporters celebrating our success and the impact we are making. We’re all so grateful to everyone who champion our work and we’re already planning ahead to next year’s event.”
The Red Sky Ball 2026 wasn’t just an evening of glamour, it was a testamony to what can be achieved when a community comes together with a shared purpose: saving lives, supporting families, and raising hope.
For more information about Red Sky Ball 2027, visit:
www.zeffy.com/en-GB/ticketing/red-sky-ball–2027