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A girl passes a rugby ball to a coach during a training session.

Sport and physical activity is a big part of many people’s lives. It can help keep us fit, healthy and provide opportunities to socialise and stay connected to our communities.

Volunteers play a crucial role in keeping everyone safe when taking part in activities.

Cardiac screening is another measure clubs and community organisations can take to ensure people stay safe when engaging in physical activity.

Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY)

In the UK, 12 young people aged 35 and under die of undiagnosed health conditions every week.

Unfortunately, cardiac arrests will continue to occur, so it’s important organisations understand the actions that can be taken to limit them, raise awareness and react in emergency situations. 

Cardiac screening for young individuals is crucial for early detection of cardiac issues. An ECG (a reading of your heart's activity) is a simple and effective way to help determine these abnormalities or issues.

Introduction

CRY is a charity set up to prevent young people, aged 14-35, experiencing sudden cardiac deaths by raising awareness and offering further clinical support through cardiac screening.

Through proactive communities, CRY screens over 30,000 young people each year and are currently developing new ways to significantly increase their screening capabilities in the coming years.

They aim to provide every young person with the opportunity to be screened so they can benefit from specialist advice if needed.

Why is awareness important?

The risk of a cardiac arrest increases as you become older.

However, there is still a large prevalence of young people with no previous symptoms experiencing cardiac problems, particularly when exercising and placing themselves in physically exerting situations which causes an increase in their heart rate.

Sports clubs and community groups can play an essential role in the prevention and management of cardiac risks for their community. Organisations can:

  • provide, or signpost to, defibrillators within, or near, their organisation
  • encourage people to learn about how they can raise awareness of CRY
  • promote early detection through cardiac screening services
  • encourage every young person to learn CPR and become ‘ResusReady’.

A boy bends down to pick up two dodgeballs from a sports ball hall, while other team-mates play in the background.

CRY services

  • Public screening events

    CRY have several mobile units operating across the country seven days a week. 

    They host public screenings in local community settings like schools. To find a screening event near you, explore the TestMyHeart website.

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  • Private screening events

    Private screening events are available to specific organisations who have paid for the service, such as private schools, universities and professional sports clubs. 

    You can check if you are eligible for a private screening at TestMyHeart.   

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  • Fundraising support

    Fundraising events usually take place following the tragic loss of a young person due to a sudden cardiac death. 

    Lots of hard work and effort from the community is needed to fund a screening service. 

    CRY support with community initiatives and ensure all raised funds are protected for that community to book a screening service when able.

    Further fundraising support from CRY includes:

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Looking ahead

Despite their essential and successful work, CRY still face challenges in keeping up with the demand for expert heart testing.

Positive ways to overcome these hurdles remain a focus:

They’re developing a new model of screening through machine learning (artificial intelligence), which aims to reduce the dependence on specially trained doctors and service more people through more efficient delivery.
CRY continue to find ways to maximise the impact of every pound that’s donated, conscious of the rising costs associated with running a UK-wide screening programme.
Having recovered from the effects of the pandemic, CRY are ready to start reinvesting funds into the further development of the organisation.
They're aiming to widen their reach in the coming years to make screening services more accessible to all young people across the country.

How can you help?

There are several ways you, or your organisation, can help with CRY’s mission:

Individuals

  • Volunteers can raise money for their local communities and contact CRY to provide a screening service.
  • Individuals can get involved with photography, promotion and raising awareness for upcoming screening events.
  • Volunteers can actively seek screening services near them and encourage their local community to do the same. 

Organisations

  • Sports clubs and community organisations can raise funds to get a mobile unit to come to their venue. Harborough Town FC showcase how this can be achieved.
  • Organisations can encourage members to be screened at the start of every season and direct them to local public screening opportunities, where available.
  • Clubs and groups can raise awareness and promote local screening events through social media, other communications and with the support of their national governing body.

CRY’s top tips

1
Be proactive
Often cardiac awareness begins after a serious incident or unexpected death; organisations don’t have to wait to prioritise support.
2
Have a clear structure for your social media and communication team
Sustained and regular awareness can be a powerful educational tool; CRY are available to support with this.
3
Embed it as a basic
Add cardiac awareness and screening in start of season checklists, reminding people of screening opportunities and making sure newcomers are aware.
4
Encourage, don’t pressure
Young people need to take control and ownership of their own health, but awareness and encouragement is a good starting point.

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