On Saturday, soprano Kathryn Harries will take on the challenge of walking across all of the Thames Bridges from Hampton Court to Tower Hill to raise money for Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY). 

As a grand finale to the week, Kathryn will be joined by CRY families from around the UK and former Leyton Orient footballer Andy Scott as she completes her walk. 

The singer, who was born in Hampton Court, recently became the first female patron of the charity and is committed to raising as much awareness and money as possible during the annual CRY Awareness Week. 

She said: "I'd read about fit, young people dying without warning because of an undiagnosed heart condition and, as a mother of two, I couldn't begin to imagine the terrible grief of those youngsters' families."

Based in Surrey, CRY was launched more than 10 years ago to raise awareness of sudden cardiac death in young people - a syndrome believed to cause the death of at least eight young people in the UK each year. 

The charity is now involved in lobbying for greater access to screening for young people and provides medical equipment and a subsidised screening programme. 

Alison Cox, chief executive and founder of the charity, said: "We are delighted that Kathryn is taking on this difficult challenge and we'll al be supporting her every step of the way. 

"We rely on the support of the public to help us raise funds so having a figurehead for our awareness week is a great boost." 

To sponsor Kathryn, call the CRY office on 01737 363 222.