Every week in the UK, 12 young people (that is, aged 35 and under) die suddenly from undiagnosed heart conditions.

Eighty per cent of these young people have no signs or symptoms, which is why Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY)’s pioneering screening programme is so vitally important, now testing over 15,000 young people each year.

A significant number of young people have died from sudden cardiac death and in the past 20 years, CRY has travelled across the country to provide free, expert screening.

A number of families continue to work closely with CRY to improve awareness and to raise funds for its programme. This includes world leading research and a specialist bereavement network to support families who have been tragically affected.

I am proud to be a patron of CRY and honorary president of its Centre of Sports Cardiology, which was the first dedicated sports cardiology unit in the world The Beefy Foundation, which I founded, has chosen CRY as one of the charities it supports and has donated a van for CRY’s screening events.

Sir Ian Botham, CRY Patron.