On the 2nd October 2022, our son Ben, (centre of pic), a fit and healthy 18yr old cricketer suffered a cardiac arrest in Australia and spent 72 hours in a coma.

He had just left Beths Grammar in Bexley with a deferred place at Loughborough University and was enjoying a 10 day holiday in Perth with family before heading across to join the Darren Lehmann Cricket Academy in Adelaide.

The stars aligned for Ben that day and thanks to the 15 minutes of CPR administered by his Uncle Andrew, along with the rapid response of the paramedics and incredible care that he received in Joondalup Hospital, Ben has made an amazing recovery and is back playing the game that he loves, (complete with an internally fitted defibrillator)!

It has since been discovered that Ben had an undiagnosed abnormality with a valve in his heart which is now under control, and whilst Ben has been extremely lucky, every week in the UK at least 12 young people die as a result of an undiagnosed heart condition.

Therefore Ben, his brother Jack and best friend George, have decided to raise enough funds to get young cricketers in our area screened with both an ECG & Echocardiogram through the incredible charity CRY, (Cardiac Risk in the Young).

CRY work tirelessly to offer screening to as many areas in the UK as possible as well as carrying out vital research into why such events happen and the support that they offer to 'survivors' and bereaved families is invaluable.

Ben & Jack play for Bexley CC, and together with several other local cricket clubs including Bexleyheath CC, (where both boys payed as Colts), and Bromley CC, they will be involved in various events during the cricket season in order to reach an initial target of £20,000, which will launch the first screening and start to get funds in place for future ones.

Together with George, they will also be co-ordinating a static bike ride which will run 24/7 during Bexley's Cricket Week and the virtual route will visit each of the 18 county grounds in the UK.

This event, (& Bexley's Cricket Week), will start on Saturday July 15th and end on 22nd July so all donations to help spur on the army of volunteers who are limbering up to take part would be gratefully received.

We really don't want another family to go through what happened to Ben and if we can help prevent it happening to at least one other young player the anticipated blisters will not have been in vain!

Huge thanks from the Aldred Family for your support.