Pirate Helps Shopping Centre Raise Cash For TASC

A shopping centre in Kent is raising money in aid of TASC, The Ambulance Staff Charity after experiencing first-hand the vital work that paramedics and other front-line staff do.

The Priory Shopping Centre in Dartford has designated TASC as its Charity of the Year and has so far raised more than £700 through a variety of fundraising events. The shopping centre has also been raising awareness of TASC by putting up posters at events and also promoting the charity on social media.

Shelley Filippi has been Centre Manager at The Priory Shopping Centre for two years after previously being the manager at the Church Walk Shopping Centre in Caterham in Surrey.

She has a personal connection with the ambulance service as her mother, Maria Neal, worked in the Chelmsford control room in the 1970’s.

Shelley said:

“During my time here I noticed that we have the ambulance service on site most days. We get a lot of people who feel unwell, and we also had a pregnant lady who possibly went into premature labour. You support us so much that we wanted to give something back to you. So, whenever we have an event we have fundraised for TASC and also put it on our Facebook page. We always let the public know that we are raising money for the ambulance charity.”

The first fundraising event attended by the shopping centre in aid of TASC was the annual Dartford Festival, which took place in July.

Other events held at The Priory Shopping Centre have included a Halloween Freaky Faces and a Pirates Day, which was attended by a Jack Sparrow lookalike from the Pirates of the Caribbean films, together with Jean Hayes, Director of Charity Operations at TASC.

Added Shelley: “The Pirates Day was a great family event and I’m sure having Jean with us not only raised the profile of your charity but also boosted the fundraising.”

Jean Hayes, TASC’s Director of Charity Operations, said: “I would like to give a big thank you to Shelley and her team for all they are doing in support of past and present ambulance staff and their families. It was a pleasure to visit the shopping centre during their Pirates Day event to see the fund-raising effort at first hand.”

The total amount raised up to the beginning of December 2017 stands at £725 with further events planned for the future.