Beefy foundation

In 2002, we were very proud to announce Sir Ian Botham as one of our first Patrons. The first event Beefy attended for CRY was at Parliament at the launch of the Cardiac Risk in the Young All Party Parliamentary Group. He powerfully stated, “We must stop these terrible tragedies. Youngsters are dying needlessly- we can and must change things. At the end of the day these deaths are indiscriminate. They affect all sorts of people – amateur sportsmen, professional sportsmen, a guy playing on a pitch, a kid at a school sports day. It is something that must be addressed and has been swept under the carpet for too long.”

When Beefy first started to support CRY, we were screening a few thousand young people each year. However, with his powerful support, we are now in a position where we are testing over 27,000 people each year.

Since the formation of The Beefy Charity Foundation by Sir Ian Botham, CRY have been one of the main six charities that the foundation supports. The foundation has helped CRY provide cardiac screening to over 23,000 through the equipment and vehicle it has funded. Beefy’s mobile cardiac screening unit will have identified more than 75 apparently fit and health young people with a potentially life threatening cardiac condition they were unaware of. These young people who will now have had potentially life-saving operations or medications thanks to the support of The Beefy Foundation.