Crawley motorsport stars hand hospital £37k for school defibrillators

Based in Crawley and Brighton, The Bears National Banger team have been racing for over 30 years, across the country and mainland Europe with their unique driving style.

In recent years, they have been putting back into the community from where they come holding annual charity meeting, with all proceeds going towards the vital work of the children’s hospital.

‘The Bears Big Bash’ returned for its fourth year in the summer, in front of a packed crowd at Arlington Stadium in Eastbourne.

Seven months of hard work and planning ensured the continued success of the event, which last year raised over £20,000. It enabled them to buy vital heart monitors for the dedicated Alex children’s emergency department.

Funds raised by The Bears this year will enable The Alex to fund ongoing projects, as well as providing potentially life-saving defibrillators for schools in Sussex.

Representatives from The Bears, including Crawley’s Shane Fry, joined Ryan Heal and Liz McCluskey from the hospital, for an official cheque presentation.

Hospital ambassador and event organiser Michael Burnage MBE said: “As a group we were determined to better our fundraising total from last year. Exceeding £20,000 was always going to be a big ask, and so we have held a number of events across the year, including a premiere at Cineworld. July’s ‘Big Bash’ event at Eastbourne was the culmination of the year’s activities that saw us not only beat, but smash our previous amounts.

“As a local team with members drawn from right across the local Sussex community, it means a great deal to us to give back in such a way.”

Liz McCluskey added: “To say we were overwhelmed by the amount raised through The Bears Big Bash event is an understatement – we couldn’t believe it when we heard the news that they had smashed their fundraising target and nearly doubled the amount raised last year.

“We are so very grateful to everyone involved in the event for their incredible efforts, which really will make a difference to the lives of sick children in Sussex.”