A Gorleston teenager is hoping the student community will support a charity fundraiser to pay for a screening session aimed at picking up heart abnormalities in the young. 

Georgia Gooch, 17, has been putting up posters and rallying interest via Facebook for the event at Caeser''s Bar, in Great Yarmouth, tonight. 

She is inspired by family friend Simon Cullum who died without warning from an undetected heart problem aged 29 and her former school chum Conor Flint whose heart condition means he has to carry a defibrillator with him at all times. 

The East Norfolk Sixth Form College student resolved to help raise awareness and cash after attending an event organised by Simon's mother, Marilyn Cullum, at St Peter's Church, Gorleston. 

Mrs Cullum is already half way towards a £9,000 target to screen 120 people aged 14 to 35 in a one-off session that requires specialist cardiologists to interpret readings from a simple, non-invasive test. 

"I saw what Marilyn was doing and I wanted to get people my age involved and aware.  One of my best friends has been diagnosed with a heart condition and it was all a bit upsetting," Georgia said. 

Organising and promoting the fun event to support the screening has also tied in with her studies which include health and social care and communications and culture.  The event is from 9 - 2am with balloons and donation buckets.  Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY) merchandise will be on sale.  Entry £3 on the door, all proceeds to CRY towards Mrs Cullum's aim of bringing a screening session to the borough of the kind that could have saved Simon's life had it been available. 

Ultimately she would like all school children to be screened and for Yarmouth to be included on the route of the charity's mobile unit which currently only comes as close as Colchester.