(Image: Supplied)
A Darlington-founded health club group is set to raise money for the Great North Air Ambulance Service through a week of fundraising activities across the North East.
The Bannatyne Group will host its Charity Week from October 12 to 18, with health clubs across the North East and Cumbria taking part in events to support their regional air ambulance service.
Duncan Bannatyne, chairman and chief executive of the Bannatyne Group, said: "Air ambulance charities provide an extraordinary service, bringing highly skilled critical care teams to people when they need them most.
"They rely on fundraising and public support to continue their life-saving work, which is why we wanted to make them the focus of our Charity Week.
"Across the North East and Cumbria, our teams will be getting behind the Great North Air Ambulance Service and coming up with plenty of fun ways for our members to get involved too.
"I hope everyone will join in, have some fun and help us raise as much money as we possibly can."
The Great North Air Ambulance Service (GNAAS) provides specialist pre-hospital care to seriously ill or injured people across the North East, North Yorkshire, Cumbria, and the Isle of Man.
Its critical care teams respond to emergencies by helicopter and rapid response vehicle, delivering hospital-level treatment at the scene.
The charity requires £10.7 million each year to remain operational and is entirely funded by donations.
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Vicky Fisher, senior corporate relationship manager at GNAAS, said: "We’re incredibly grateful to Bannatyne Health Clubs and their colleagues and members across the North East and Cumbria for coming together to support GNAAS during their Charity Week.
"Our service is reliant on charitable donations so we’re hugely appreciative of everyone taking part and helping us continue our life-saving work across the region."
Bannatyne Health Clubs in Darlington, Ingleby Barwick, Coulby Newham, Carlisle, Chester le Street, and Durham will all take part in the fundraising efforts.