Pioneering heart charity, Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) and construction specialists, the Cara Group (Headquartered in Manchester and with offices across the North of England) are delighted to announce a new collaboration, which will see employees, colleagues and the local community strive to raise awareness and funds to help CRY in its ongoing mission to prevent the tragedy of young sudden cardiac death (YSCD). 

As bravely shared on social media earlier this month, this partnership has a special significance for Cara Brickwork’s Managing Director, Neil Allen, after he tragically lost his daughter Olivia, known as Liv, to sudden cardiac death last June. She was aged just 19.

Liv was a healthy young woman who was incredibly happy and thriving studying Veterinary Medicine at the University of Nottingham where she embraced independent and academic life, a true testament to her love for animals and her commitment to making the world a better place. But tragically, her bright and healthy future was cut short by an unexpected cardiac arrest.

Every week, 12 apparently fit and healthy young (aged 35 and under) people in the UK die suddenly from a ‘hidden’ heart defect. In 80% of these cases, there will have been no warning signs or symptoms until it is too late, which is why CRY believes screening is so vitally important (particularly for those involved in sport and regular, physical activity, which can increase a young person’s risk if they have an underlying condition).

CRY now tests the hearts of almost 30,000 young people each year, aged between 14 and 35 (and over 310,000 since the screening programme was launched in 1995). The vast majority of CRY’s screenings are funded by families who have been affected by a young sudden cardiac death so there is no charge to the individual when CRY’s mobile cardiac screening service comes to a local venue (community settings such as schools, colleges, church halls and sports clubs). And, on two Saturdays in every month, around 100 young people can also be screened for free at CRY’s National Screening Centre in Surrey (also, often funded in memory of a young person.)

Neil, who is no stranger to raising money for charities, has now embarked on raising awareness and money for CRY so that he can arrange screenings for the youngsters local to him and beyond. He has already raised a staggering £20,000 with the help of Cara Group, which donated £4,050 as part of their annual Christmas donation.

Neil says, “The death of Olivia not just shocked the close family and friends but the wider community of the Construction world. The amount of support that we have received is unbelievable. Any young person is a tragedy, but the fact that far too many young, fit people die every week through the lack of proper screening programmes must be addressed. Through our partnership with friends, businesses and suppliers, we plan to raise enough funds to do regular “Test My Heart” screening events to hopefully reduce the frequency of young sudden cardiac death.”

Neil and his brother Joey Allen (Chairman of Cara) met with the inspiring Debbie Dixon, a CRY representative from Cheshire whose son Aaron died 10 years ago and who is a massive campaigner for CRY.

Debbie has funded over 100 days of screenings through Aaron’s Memorial Fund with CRY , which has led to 9,000 young people having their hearts tested and around 370 young people being identified with heart anomalies which have required referrals for further cardiac investigations and potentially lifesaving treatments.

Neil added; “We want to thank all our Group Directors, John & Paddy Grady Pat, and Joey, for getting behind our awareness and fundraising campaign and helping to raise money for this worthy cause.”