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South Tyneside has taken delivery of a special piece of life-saving equipment that will increase the survival chance of anyone going into cardiac arrest.

The new defibrillator has been installed at South Marine Park in South Shields, and unlike many defibrillators which have standard green and yellow livery, the new bespoke model features the colours of the Progressive flag.

It has been gifted to the Council by the Red Sky Foundation, as a gesture of thanks for supporting the Borough's first month-long PRIDE celebration which was held in July and ran in partnership with LGBTQ+ charity, Out North East.

Councillor Tracey Dixon, Leader of Â鶹ÊÓƵ, said: "South Tyneside is a welcoming and inclusive place with unique and diverse communities and we were thrilled to support Pride this summer, giving people the opportunity to come together to embrace and celebrate our wonderful LGBTQ+ residents.

"We are very grateful to Red Sky Foundation for gifting us this defibrillator as a lasting legacy for our first Pride in South Tyneside. This valuable equipment could mean the difference between life and death for a resident or visitor needing a prompt response at our busy seafront area. It will be critical in giving someone suffering a cardiac arrest the best chance of survival."

The new Pride-themed device is one of four donated across the region, with others gifted in Newcastle, Sunderland, and Gateshead, where Out North East delivered Pride events over the summer to raise awareness of equality and diversity.

Peter Darrant, CEO of Out North East, which delivered Pride in South Tyneside in partnership with the Council, said: "At Out North East, we are all about changing minds and hearts and getting people to show their support for the LGBTQ+ community.

"Now thanks to the generosity of Red Sky Foundation and the amazing work they do, we can also help save lives. We are very grateful to the charity for these life-saving donations."

When Red Sky Foundation gained charitable status in 2020 South Tyneside had only eighty publicly accessible defibrillators. There are now 123 registered units.

As well as distributing more than 700 to defibrillators in public places, Red Sky Foundation has raised nearly £2 million to buy essential cardiac equipment and also provides support, facilities, and after care for hundreds of babies, children, and their families living with heart disease in the children's heart unit at the Freeman Hospital in Newcastle. The support by the charity is also extended to heart units in Sunderland Royal Hospital and James Cook Hospital in Middlesbrough.

Sergio Petrucci MBE, Founder of the Red Sky Foundation, said: "When someone has a medical emergency, every second counts and using early CPR and a defibrillator can make a huge difference to the chance of survival. Sudden cardiac arrest does not discriminate; it can literally happen to anyone.

"We pride ourselves as being an inclusive charity and continue to provide support to everyone and we are committed to treating everyone fairly, regardless of sexual orientation.

"Diversity, equality and inclusion are some of our core values and at the same time it's vital that people are educated in the use of CPR, that knowledge could help save a life until medical help arrives on the scene.

"We are delighted to have teamed up with Out North East using our charitable funds raised to put four more machines in key locations with the knowledge that they will help save more lives."