AN estate agency group with its headquarters in Darlington has raised about £10,000 during its tenth anniversary year.

The total, for the Red Sky Foundation, was boosted by more than £7,000 generated by the James Bond-themed My Property Box Charity Ball held at Hardwick Hall, Sedgefield.

Attended by a sell-out 310 guests, it included a three-course meal, charity auction, and entertainment in aid of the North East heart charity.

Several big ticket auction items attracted generous bids, including a half-day cruise for eight aboard a motor yacht followed by a three course meal at Rik Stein’s Bournemouth restaurant, and a table for 10 at celebrity chef Marcus Wareing’s restaurant at the Berkley Hotel in London’s Knightsbridge. Other items in the auction included artwork plus signed film and sports memorabilia.

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This, together with the money raised through ticket sales, has so far generated more than £7,000 for the company’s nominated good cause.

Earlier this summer staff from Darlington-headquartered My Property Box, together with team members from its Newcastle based sister company Groves Residential, raised more than £2,700 for Red Sky Foundation after scaling England’s highest mountain, the 3,209ft-high Scafell Pike.

Ben Quaintrell, founder and managing director of My Property Box, said: “The ball was a wonderful way to mark 10 years of the business whilst raising an important chunk of money for such a great charity that is dedicated to saving and changes lives.

“I’d like to thank everyone who attended for their support and for making it such a very special occasion.”

Red Sky Foundation was initially set up by Sergio and Emma Petrucci to support the Children’s Heart Unit at Newcastle’s Freeman Hospital after their daughter underwent life-saving heart surgery in 2015.

Since then, it has raised more than £700,000 to support a range of cardiac-related causes across the region - helping babies, children and adults living with heart conditions at the Freeman, Sunderland Royal Hospital and James Cook Hospital, Middlesbrough. It has also funded hundreds of defibrillators throughout the region.

Sergio, who together with his wife were guests of honour at the ball, said: “I’d like to express my tremendous gratitude to everyone at My Property Box for their amazing efforts, and I assure everyone who contributed that every penny is spent on improving the lives of those who are born with, or develop, heart conditions.”

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