Alison's Column - When CRY received its first Patron support

By CRY Founder Alison Cox MBE

Desolate CRY families have often found that organising an event in memory of the fit and healthy young person who had died suddenly, without warning, gave them great solace. It was liberating to be able to say their name, talk about them, and reminisce. They found it cathartic to be able to explain to others what had happened. It opened up the opportunity for family and friends to better understand the circumstances and potential genetic consequences.

They have also found it uplifting if there was a CRY Patron who could pop in and give their event impetus. CRY’s Patrons were often sportsmen and women, which was appropriate as so many tragedies happened during sport which could precipitate the cardiac arrest. Patrons learnt of the potential dangers of sport which could provoke a cardiac arrest if the young person had been involved in vigorous activity and had an underlying condition. It is relevant that few golfers were known to be victims of young sudden cardiac death.

Our first Patrons were swimmer Nick Gillingham, and tennis players Mark Cox and Jeremy Bates, who was Britain’s No. 1 tennis player for nine years. Jeremy was a tremendous CRY supporter and was key to both helping get all the tennis players screened during the National Indoor Championships in 1992, and the promotion of our Skipathon event in 1993/1994. Jeremy mentions his experience of dealing with his own heart problems in his 1997 “Kids for CRY” interview with young Eleanor McDowall, and how delighted he was to have been invited to be a Patron.

2001 was a year to remember when we were joined by two of the country’s most famous sportsmen: Sir Steven Redgrave CBE and Sir Ian Botham OBE, who became Honorary President of CRY’s Centre of Sports Cardiology.

We were still a small charity and the uplift they gave CRY’s status had a considerable influence on those people and organisations that heard about CRY and were considering donating to us but were unsure whether we were likely to be of any lasting consequence, and thus were reluctant to commit to supporting us.

It was the Fox family who had suggested they would like to write to Sir Steve after the heartrending sudden death of their teenage daughter. It was shortly after Sir Steve had won his 5th Olympic medal and he agreed immediately. He allowed us to create a stunning poster explaining his own experience as a teenager when his best friend and rowing partner, with whom he had just won their first senior event, had suddenly stood up when they were watching TV and then dropped dead in front of him. Sir Steve’s Olympic achievement secured him as an all-time great and his support has attracted significant interest in CRY over the years.

Ian first heard of CRY through an old school friend who had become assistant manager of the Goldldenstone Leisure Centre in Yeovil which was fundraising for CRY in memory of a child who had died in her father’s arms in their swimming pool. She had contacted Sir Ian to see if he would collect the £7,000 cheque for CRY as he was doing a book tour in the area. I took the opportunity to request whether it would be possible for her to consider asking if he would be a CRY Patron. He was well known for his love of children and proved to be curious about CRY’s goals, so requested I visited his home in Yorkshire to talk it through.

Consequently he came on board, attended the first meeting of our All Party Parliamentary Group in the House of Commons, and agreed to his photo being used in our (imminent) next national campaign. Ian is still a very active CRY supporter having recently provided a donation for the purchase of a CRY van for our screening programme in 2014. A year later his foundation also donated four ECG machines and a further donation of a mobile echocardiogram machine.

In 2006, Simon Halliday became another Patron who was in it for the long haul. The well-known Bath and former England rugby team centre successfully persuaded many of the – by now middle aged – members of the notoriously successful Bath Rugby club to get fit and join him (plus friends and relatives) running in CRY t-shirts at the 2006 Bath HalfMarathon. His ultimate team of 70, including new CRY Patron John Inverdale, ran in memory of father and son Howard and Sebastian English, raising over £100,000.

He persuaded many of them to reconvene in 2007 at a superb candlelit dinner (and raffle) for over 500 people in The London Marriott Hotel that he had planned with key speaker Sir Clive Woodward. These were both major, time consuming events for Simon to organise and massive fundraisers for CRY. Simon is still alert to fundraising opportunities for us. I was recently invited to a brilliant annual concert for CRY in memory of Lewis Marsh (who had died suddenly when he was 13 years old in 2008) and was delighted to find that I was sitting next to Simon who I had not seen for many years. He had come to support and also give the packed room of several hundred people an inspiring talk of CRY’s purpose and achievements. I shouldn’t have been surprised. He had always made it clear to me that he intended to be in it for the long haul.

In 2010, singer Pixie Lott found herself indirectly linked with CRY when a school asked permission to make their own version of her recent hit record Boys and Girls, with all proceeds going to CRY after Sebastian’s sudden death. She had been curious and decided to surprise the schoolchildren on their last day of the summer term.

I found myself next to her as we had a quick lunch whilst we were waiting in the wings for the appropriate moment for her ‘secret’ entrance, and I took the opportunity to ask her if she would be a Patron to which she unhesitatingly agreed. She has been involved in numerous initiatives and projects that have greatly benefited CRY ever since.

Some Patrons have been active for a while and some have lasted the test of time. When opera singer Kathryn Harris first suggested she would like to do a walk for CRY we were puzzled. It was something that had never been considered before. However, she was determined it could/would develop and it certainly has. Her first trial walk that she did with some CRY staff and a few volunteers convinced her, and we have held the CRY annual Heart of London Bridges Walk ever since. It has, over 20-plus years, developed into our biggest event with more people participating and raising increased funds every year. In 2019, 1,574 bereaved mums, dads, families and friends raised the astonishing amount of just under £75,000 for CRY.

Can Patrons make a difference? We could never have managed without them!

It is hard to quantify the impact CRY’s Patrons have had over the years with the many different ways they choose to support CRY. From David Walliams having his screening filmed as part of the launch of the CRY Philips campaign, to Joe Root wearing a CRY wristband, to Pat Jennings closing deals on a charity day in the city, to John Inverdale recording the CRY voicemail message, to Sir Clive Woodward speaking at the launch of the CRY Centre for Cardiac Pathology, to John Barrowman supporting CRY at one of his concerts…

For more information on CRY’s Patrons, go to www.c-r-y.org.uk/patrons