
by Tim Nuttall
The organisers of a forthcoming charity night are aiming to raise vital funds to support the work of a cardiac screening charity in memory of a well-known Roos man who died from an undiagnosed heart condition.
Following his death in 2015, the family and friends of Darren Uscroft have worked tirelessly to help honour his memory by collectively raising more than £30,000 to help fund lifesaving support in the community.
To date, this money has helped to fully purchase two defibrillators, with a substantial contribution made towards a third. It has also facilitated three cardiac screenings in Withernsea – one at the high school in June 2019, and a further two screening sessions at the town’s Meridian Centre in May 2023 and October 2024.
Delivered by Cardiac Risk in the Young (CRY), a charity that offers subsidised ECG screening to young people between the ages of 14 and 35, these sessions have resulted in the testing of about 300 people in the community as part of the charity’s mission to “prevent young sudden cardiac deaths through awareness, screening and research.”
With each session costing about £6,500 per 100 people being tested, and with the work of CRY being funded solely by the money raised by its supporters, community-supported fundraising initiatives are vital in ensuring that the charity can maintain its work to save lives.
On Saturday, February 8, Sand le Mere Holiday Park will host a charity night in support of CRY and the Darren Uscroft Memorial Fund. Entertainment will come courtesy of singer Paul Murphy and singer-guitarist Connor Penson.
Connor, who performs a variety of covers by artists including Luke Combs, Morgan Wallen, Tyler Childers and Chris Stapleton, said: “I am looking forward to being a part of this event honouring Darren and helping to raise money for an important cause. The Uscroft family are close friends of mine and it is a privilege to help them spread awareness and support of this charity.”
The event is free to attend, but cash donations will be welcomed throughout the evening. A tombola and raffle will also be held – these will be cash-only and will feature an array of prizes including vouchers for beauty treatments, gym sessions, horse riding lessons, and meals at local eateries including Withernsea’s Beast Burger.
Paul Murphy, general manager of Sand le Mere Holiday Park, said: “We’ve had some fantastic prizes donated from local businesses and we are really grateful for their support. If any other individuals or organisations are in a position to donate items for the tombola or raffle, we would welcome these at the park.”
This year’s charity night follows the success of a debut event last year which helped to raise £1,960 for Darren’s memorial fund. Paul is hopeful that this amount can be beaten this year.
“It was great to be able to facilitate such a fantastic event last year and we were very pleased to see the amount of money raised for such an amazing cause. We are really hoping to top that figure this year and we are delighted to be hosting another fundraising event to support the work of CRY.
“Having seen first-hand how devastating it has been for Darren’s family and friends to lose such a huge figure in their lives, anything we can do as a team on park to help support this charity in his memory is a pleasure.”
Speaking on behalf of the family, Darren’s sister, Jodie Uscroft-Mould, said: “This year marks 10 years since we lost Darren. We want to use this year to raise awareness, as always, but also to celebrate Darren’s life. We cannot comprehend how we are coming up to 10 years without him here and that pain will never go away.
“As a family, we want to make this year as positive as possible and one way to do this is to keep Darren’s memory alive by organising events and fundraisers in his name.
“We are constantly amazed by the amount of support we receive locally for Darren’s Memorial Fund and we can never thank everyone enough for this. We could not achieve what we do with local heart screenings and the funding of local defibrillators without the support of the community.
“We would also like to thank Paul and the team at Sand le Mere, as well as Kerri from the memorial fund, for their time and efforts in organising this event in support of CRY and Darren’s fund. We are really looking forward to the evening and we are always so blown away by everyone’s generosity during these events. It definitely shows us how loved Darren was within the community. We hope to see as many people there as possible.”
The event takes place at Sand le Mere Holiday Park in Southfield Lane, Tunstall. Doors open at 7pm. The venue operates a card-only bar. However, the tombola, raffle and donation pots will be cash only.
Anyone who is unable to attend the event but would still like to make a donation to help support the work of CRY via the Darren Uscroft Memorial Fund can do so using the following details: Sort Code: 30-99-50, Account: 56727468.
Every week, 12 apparently fit and healthy young people (35 and under) lose their lives to sudden cardiac death in the UK – a statistic that is believed to be a conservative estimate.
Some 80 per cent of these apparently healthy young people who die from young sudden cardiac death will have shown no previous sign of heart defects until it is too late – which is why CRY believes screening is so vitally important.
An ECG test is a simple way to identify the vast majority of abnormalities that can cause sudden deaths in young people. The test is quick, non-invasive and, if necessary, a further echocardiogram can be taken on the same day to provide further clarity or reassurance.
Since its formation in 1995, CRY has been working to reduce the frequency of sudden cardiac deaths. The charity supports young people diagnosed with potentially life-threatening cardiac conditions and offers bereavement support to families.