A dress down day across all divisions and branches of the Isle of Man Bank raised ?704 for Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation.

Staff left behind their normal office clothes for the day and also got into the spirit of the event by baking heart shaped cakes.

Craig's Heartstrong Foundation is a Manx charity set up by the Lunt family in memory of their 25-year-old son, Craig, a Manx footballer who tragically died in April 2005, due to a previously undiagnosed heart defect.

The aim of the foundation is to raise the necessary funding to enable the heart screening of men and women between the ages of 14 and 35 in the Isle of Man in order to detect any possible symptoms of Hypertrophic and Dilated Cardiomyopathy and thus help prevent Sudden Death Syndrome (SDS).

Craig’s mum Paula visited the bank’s branch in Prospect Terrace, Douglas, on the fundraising day. She said she was overwhelmed by the efforts of staff.

‘It was amazing,’ she said. ‘What they did was fantastic, there were cakes and everyone wore hearts. I cannot thank the bank staff enough.

‘Without events like this, we wouldn’t be able to screen people or buy the 120 defibrillators we have already bought for the Island.’

John Lindon, Head of Community Investment at Isle of Man Bank, said: ‘Everyone at the bank was happy to take part in the dress down day and to raise money for a very important charity that has already done so much to help increase the heart screening of young men and women in the Island – and save lives as a result.’

The Craig’s Heartstrong Foundation will be staging its next free heart screening event on September 27 and 28, at Noble’s Hospital. It takes place in Suite C at the General Outpatients Department. Screening is available to anyone between the ages of 14 and 35.

For more information visit http://www.craigsheartstrongfoundation.co.uk/.

Photo - Paula Lunt, left, visits staff at the Prospect Terrace branch of Isle of Man Bank during the fundraising day.