Just hours after completing her fourth London Marathon, Caroline Gard was at the Houses of Parliament to help launch a new centre for sports cardiology – the CRY Centre for Sports Cardiology.

Mrs Gard, her husband Peter and daughter Cathy, from Frinton, were at a reception at the House of Commons for CRY – Cardiac Risk in the Young.

The charity has set up the first dedicated centre for sports cardiology in the world. It will be the central work station of CRY’s developing screening programme.

In the past 12 months 399 young people have been screened  - and 13 are now in NHS care for cardiac conditions.

The Gard’s 17-year-old son Andrew, who went o Colchester Royal Grammar School and played for Clacton Hockey Club, died of a sudden cardiac arrest five years ago, just before his 18^th birthday.

In the Tendring area more than £70,000 has been raised in his memory.

The Gards were one of nine families at the launch who have suffered a sudden cardiac death.  “It is very important that we do everything we can to raise awareness and ensure that as many people as possible are screened and any problems picked up as early as possible”, said Mrs Gard.

“We are hoping that we will have a regular screening clinic set up in the Colchester and Tendring area soon which will be a major boost.”

At the Parliamentary Reception Yvette Cooper, Minister for Health announced that CRY is to receive £100,000 from the government to fund its bereavement counselling programme.

MPs David Chidgey, Dr Ashok Kumar and Dr Julian Lewis hosted the event.

CRY’s efforts have gained cross party support and Clacton MP Ivan Henderson was also at the reception.

“We are all backing what CRY is trying to do and it is vital that their work continues and that they receive all the support they can get,” he said.

The new CRY Centre for Sports Cardiology is based at the British Olympic Medical Centre in Northwick Park Hospital, Harrow.

It will offer the opportunity to undergo a full cardiac evaluation by a cardiologist with special interest in sports cardiology.

Former England cricketer, Ian Botham is Honorary President of the CRY Centre of Sports Cardiology and a Patron of the charity.

"CRY is a dynamic charity excitingly poised on the threshold of a unique opportunity to make a significant contribution to Sports Cardiology and save young lives.” He said. “We can and must stop these tragedies."
Mrs Gard completed the London Marathon in 4hrs 55mins and will have raised another £400 for CRY.  Her friend, Anne Lines, also from Frinton, hopes to have raised about £800 by taking part in the marathon.

Former Frinton schoolboy Ben Chaplin, and a friend of Andy Gard, was also part of the 90-strong CRY team in the vent which came from all over the country.